Accidental Tomatoes: Recent Episodes
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Live from the 2025 Wild Goose Festival, we kick off Season 6 as Joe sits down with Rev. Brad Davis of From Below: Rising Together for Coalfield Justice to ask the question "How is it with your soul?" in regards to the work of justice in one of the poorest regions of the country. (Special thanks to our friend Charles Bretan of A Jew and a Gentile Walk Into a Bar...Mitzvah for producing this episode!)
“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.
The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.
Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.
Part 4: Spaces and Places
Four Black women creatives from West Virginia share their experiences of using art as a powerful tool for self-expression and identity exploration.
In a conversation facilitated by Royce Lyden, they delve into the challenges they experience as straight and queer folx navigating both the Black community and predominantly white spaces. In the face of pressure to conform to competing societal expectations for Black women, they highlight the importance of safe spaces, setting boundaries, and the need for self care.
Participants: Tiara Brown, Ilene Evans, Kasha Snyder McDonald, Oceanna SmithGuest Host: Royce Lyden Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/
“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.
The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.
Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.
Part 3: Health and Healers
West Virginia journalist and Black by God founder Crystal Good facilitates a conversation among three women about healing practices and mental health in Black Appalachian communities.
Together they explore the places from which healing originates, the liberation inherent in art and creativity, the unique mental health challenges faced by Black women, and the significance of food in community gatherings and healing practices. To everyone’s delight, there’s even a spontaneous ode to the air fryer.
Participants: Dr. Octavia Cordon, Dr. Shanequa Smith, A. Toni YoungGuest Host: Royce Lyden Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/
“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.
The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.
Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.
Part 2: Girls and CurlsWith a focus on hair, beauty, makeup, and style, four students from 16 to 25 years old explore the experiences of Black women and girls in schools and society. Jennifer Wells facilitates a conversation highlighting the importance of holding space for young black girls and women and acknowledging the impact of comments and judgments on their self-esteem and style choices. They share with one another personal stories about styling Black hair, the influence of societal beauty norms, and the challenges they’ve faced, such as colorism, bullying, and discrimination against natural hair. Participants: Jaidyn Carter, Camryn Pressley, Freda Reaves, Myya WilliamsGuest Host: Royce Lyden Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/
“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.
The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.
Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.
Part 1: Learning and LeadingIn a conversation facilitated by Anitra Hamilton, two educators explore their personal stories of growing up in different cities, confronting racism and segregation, and the profound impact that community support and Black teachers had on their lives.
Together these three women of different generations share their journeys navigating the education system and rising to leadership positions, highlighting the significance of Black sororities, the values of sisterhood and service, and the enduring importance of collective action in the fight for social justice and equality.
Participants: Dr. Amena Anderson, Dr. Florita MontgomeryGuest Host: Royce Lyden Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/
Joe talks with Brad Davis and Josh Scott about how colonialist interpretations of the Bible have helped contribute to the social, economic, political, and spiritual exploitation of Central Appalachia, including the WV water crisis, at the 2024 Wild Goose Festival. (Our apologies for the extra bit of background noise...this episode was recorded live in an open area without studio controls.)
Learn more about From Below here --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/629075958675198
Check out Josh Scott's work here --> https://www.joshscott.online/
Fresh off the 2024 Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in West Virginia, Heather and Joe take a look at two resolutions that signal a renewed focus on social justice for the denomination in the Mountain State and beyond.
Show links:
Hope for McDowell: https://hopeinthemountains.com/donate/ (please specify “Hope for McDowell” on the donation page)
From Below: Rising Together for Coalfield Justice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629075958675198
[Cover image courtesy of From Below: Rising Together for Coalfield Justice]
In one of the historically poorest communities in America, thousands of people are going without clean tap water in their homes. And while cities like Flint, MI, and Jackson, MS, deservedly grab national headlines for their water issues, the Southern West Virginia Coalfields are now decades into a water crisis with few answers on the horizon. In this episode, Brad Davis and Caitlin Ware join Heather and Joe to talk about the West Virginia water crisis, the complex issues surrounding it, and the ways coalfield communities are banding together to create contextual solutions where government and industry have failed. They also talk about the role of faith communities in helping to organize local residents and support local problem-solving efforts. If you’d like to get involved, below are links to some of the coalitions and organizations mentioned in the podcast:
From Below Coalition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629075958675198
WVUMC Clean Water Initiative: https://www.wvumc.org/clean-water-in-southern-district/
WV Faith Collective: https://wvfaith.org/
WV Water Distribution: https://gofund.me/f55125a7
We don't often think about tourism as a justice issue, but the displacement of families and communities to provide a more favorable user experience in tourist locations is a very real concern in places like Appalachia, where connection to the land runs deep and where infrastructure to support a tourist economy lags significantly behind. In this episode, Heather and Joe sit down with Caitlin Ware, who discusses her recent article on our blog, "Curating the View: Tourism & Exploitation in Appalachia."
How is spiritual deconstruction like a lasagna? Is reconstruction a necessary result of deconstruction? Heather Moore and Joe Webb unpack these questions and more in Heather's debut as our new co-host!
What does grief look like in the midst of spiritual/religious deconstruction? When your beliefs change, what do you hold on in the midst of loss? In the first episode of our 5th season, Joe talks openly about how old constructs no longer work for him following the death of his father, and how therapy and community are filling the void.
Is salvation merely about life after death? Or is there a more immediate, more holistic way of seeing salvation through the lens of liberation? In this episode, Joe riffs on how understanding salvation as liberation is more true to the way of Jesus than your typical Christian fire insurance policy.
As science continues to learn more about psychedelic substances and their use becomes more mainstream for both recreational and therapeutic applications, what do the church and faith leaders need to know? In this episode Joe and Jenny chat with Kaleb Graves, a recent Duke Divinity graduate who is researching and exploring the intersections of psychedelic use and Christianity.
CONTENT WARNING: Kaleb talks frankly about his own experiences with psychedelics and their usefulness for people experiencing suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and a number of other physical and psychological disorders.
To learn more about Kaleb and Psychedelic Theology:
Psychedelic Theology Podcast: https://psychedelictheology.podbean.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090081741922
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychedelic_theology/
Recorded live at the Wild Goose Festival on July 15, 2023, Joe talks with return guest Josh Scott about the Bible, progressive Christianity, Appalachian resistance, and West Virginia craft whiskey.
Is progressive Christianity really gaining momentum? Is there hope for institutional mainline denominations? In this episode Joe takes a second crack at deconstructing evangelistic paradigms in favor of a more authentic, contextualized type of faith community.
In this episode guest hosts Jenny Williams and Krysta Rexrode Wolfe talk with Rev. Alba Onofrio (they/them), a.k.a. “Reverend Sex” about queerness, activism, healing from spiritual violence, the good news of God in Appalachia, and what it means to be “antagonistically alive.” Alba is the Executive Director and Spiritual Strategist for queer-led Soulforce, which works to end the religious and political oppression of LGBTQ+ people by breaking open the ideologies of Christian Supremacy and healing the queer community’s spirits from Spiritual Violence. You can find more about Alba’s work here:
Soulforce: https://soulforce.org/
Sexual Liberation Collective: https://www.sexualliberationcollective.com/
Reverend Sex: https://www.reverendsex.com/
If God is love, can God exist where love is absent? In this bonus podcast episode, co-hosts Joe Webb and Brad Davis break down Brad's latest blog post, taken from a Maundy Thursday reflection he wrote for the Welch Charge of the United Methodist Church in McDowell County, WV during Holy Week 2023.
We're excited to welcome Josh Scott back to Accidental Tomatoes to talk about his new book, Bible Stories for Grownups, which drops in early April 2023. In this episode, Josh and Joe talk about the importance of contextualizing scripture and understanding the depth and breadth of the human experience at the time some of our most familiar and beloved Bible stories came to be. You can hear more from Josh by following Gracepointe Church or his Substack page, joshscott.online.
Do Christians really have a biblical mandate to convert other people to Christianity? Or should our evangelism have less to do with recruitment than with awakening people to Jesus' alternative worldview of peace, justice, and liberation? In this episode Joe deconstructs the evangelism of coercion and control in favor of a better, more inclusive story.
For this episode we literally go outside the walls as Joe and Brad chat with Rev. Corey Turnpenny, pastor of Church In The Wild in Windsor, NY. Corey talks about how Church in the Wild came to be, how their nontraditional worship services emerge out of their very specific context, and how they view themselves as a community dedicated to helping other people in their neighborhoods thrive.
Are you tired of the kind of bumper sticker theology where people throw random Bible verses out in almost every conversation? In this episode, Joe takes on a few of his favorite decontextualized passages and offers a more holistic way to look at them.
What kinds of things are innovative United Methodist leaders doing to create more inclusive, justice-oriented, liberation-minded spaces? Joe and Brad discuss their impressions from the recent UMC LEAD Conference in Asheville, NC, in this special Road Show Edition of the podcast. From becoming better neighbors to dismantling racist systems to learning from the natural world, our intrepid co-hosts explore a range of ideas sparked by the annual conference of progressive UMC leaders.
AUDIO QUALITY WARNING: This episode is a recorded conversation from the road with no studio equipment or sound filters, so the audio quality is sometimes inconsistent. We make no apologies...we are road warriors!
Singer-songwriter and high school English teacher Daniel Couper joins Joe and Jenny for a conversation about helping high school students record and produce their own album, the joys of creative collaboration, and the deconstruction journey that serves as the backdrop for his art. Learn more about Daniel at http://www.danielcoupermusic.com/ and check out his students' Red Gold Collective project on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/album/3yUxT4ndrvN4rM6bmdzQ5L
The Accidental Tomatoes content team revisits one of our favorite episodes from season 3 with an all-new list of grievances about the holiday season. From Hallmark Christmas movies to light displays to the so-called "war on Christmas," our creators take a tounge-in-cheek look at all the things that get under our skins during the holidays. Please don't take us too seriously...we certainly don't!
Theologian, author, and speaker Dr. Tom Oord joins Joe for a conversation about Open and Relational Theology, why it's attractive to people experiencing spiritual and religious deconstruction, and what it means to say "God can't"...and what the movie The Princess Bride has to do with it all. Learn more at https://c4ort.com/
Is advent just the pregame warmup for Christmas, or is there a more meaningful way to experience it? And what happens once you start deconstructing the season itself? In this episode Joe talks about his own deconstruction journey with Advent and how a faith community for spiritual misfits is giving it a whole new life.
We talk a lot about deconstruction on the personal/individual level, but does the Church itself need to deconstruct in order to evolve into something better? In this episode, Joe talks about how decolonizing, declassifying, and decentralizing could hold the keys for a more just, equitable, and liberationist future for the institutional church.
Joe, Heather, Jenny, and Brad kick off our 4th season with a conversation about favorite moments from our first 3 seasons and a look ahead with our friend Royce Lyden to our partnership with Justice & Jubilee.
How can decolonizing the music education classroom lead to a broader perspective on justice movements in general? In this episode, Joe and Jenny Williams chat with musicologist Natalie Shaffer about creating equity in educational environments and how a holistic approach can elevate performances from entertainment to transformation. BONUS: Stick around for the whole episode to hear a preview of Jenny's new project, "Justice & Jubilee."
Amy Jo Hutchinson makes a repeat appearance on this episode as she talks with Joe about the Rattle the Windows movement, the work of centering the stories of people who experience poverty, and advocating for child care and paid leave. She also tells her own story about spiritual trauma and how she finds her faith in helping people improve the conditions of their lives. Learn more about Amy Jo's work at rattlethewindows.com.
Amy Jo Hutchinson makes a repeat appearance on this episode as she talks with Joe about the Rattle the Windows movement, the work of centering the stories of people who experience poverty, and advocating for child care and paid leave. She also tells her own story about spiritual trauma and how she finds her faith in helping people improve the conditions of their lives. Learn more about Amy Jo's work at rattlethewindows.com.
Of all the needs of people experiencing recovery from substance use disorder, safe housing may be among the most critical. In this episode, Rev. Dr. Matt Johnson of The Fletcher Group talks with Joe about his work creating faith-based recovery housing, how faith communities can get involved, the importance of the language we use about recovery, and the ways stigma can become a barrier not only to recovery, but to the ways communities perceive and interact with people experiencing recovery.
Read Matt's recent article on the United Methodist News Service website here: https://www.umnews.org/en/news/faith-communities-can-respond-to-substance-use-epidemic-with-hope
How does a trauma-informed view of atonement affect the way we see Jesus' life, death, and resurrection? In this episode, Red Letter Christians UK co-director Faith Van Horne talks about her doctoral work of integrating Pentecostal and Feminist theologies to understand atonement doctrine through the lens of sexual abuse survivors and the communities that support them.
A lot of us have a complicated relationship with prayer. In this episode Joe talks about how prayer fits into his deconstruction journey.
Deconstruction is all about asking questions. In this episode, Joe asks whether the biblical story of the "fall" from which the doctrine of original sin emerges should be considered less about disobedience than about exploitation.
What does an online church for nerds, geeks, and gamers look like? Rev. Nathan Webb of Checkpoint Church talks with Joe about digital community built around YouTube, Twitch, and Discord in a context often shunned by traditional religious institutions. Visit Checkpoint's website for links to everything they're up to.
The colonization of the central Appalachian coalfields by extractive industries left scars on both the land and the people of the region, but it also left a rich heritage of resistance and perseverance. In this episode, Kenzie Walker of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum talks with Joe and Brad about the importance of preserving that heritage, its impacts on the broader American labor movement, and its continued relevance in the world today. Learn more at wvminewars.org
In this Pride Month 2022 episode, Joe and co-host Jenny Williams chat with West Virginia University Social Work professor Dr. Megan Gandy about LGBTQ+ people and faith communities, her own experience with religious trauma, and the importance of belonging and community beyond dogma and doctrine. You can read about Megan's research on the topic at this link: https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2021/07/12/fear-of-rejection-vs-joy-of-inclusion-faith-communities-from-lgbtq-perspectives
We've all heard that laughter is the best medicine, but what if there are elements from comedy that can actually help us navigate everything from business relationships to recovery and even the way we encounter faith and spirituality? In this special Pride Month episode, Marcy Bain, Lisa Bany, and Brian Reed from Improv Therapy Group bring their experiences from the famed Second City school of improvisation to spaces for clergy, recovery, policing, and much more to help people learn the power of "Yes, and," how it can open pathways to healing and wholeness, and how it can help build more vulnerable, authentic, and inclusive communities.
A theology of place is deeply rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, yet modern Christians have largely compartmentalized it away from their primary spiritual theology. In this episode, Rev. Zac Morton talks with Joe and Brad about what an Appalachian-specific EcoTheology looks like in a holistic sense, including food & housing justice.
View Zac's sermon from May 22, 2022 here (sermon starts at 11:15)
Navigating the tension between knowing that the pursuit of justice and liberation is a long game and actively working toward them can be overwhelming. In this episode, Joe talks about how a largely overlooked line from a widely misused passage from the book of Jeremiah elevates the sacred work of nonviolent resistance.
Singer-songwriter Jonathon Dewveall returns to talk with Joe about his new song and video, "Slave Owner's Gospel" and the work of anti-racism that it grew out of. Listen all the way to the end for an extended clip of the song, and check out the following places to hear the full version, view the video, and connect with Jonathon:
Website: https://jdewveall.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/gXCpX1AzB0k Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/27aJf90zeMATiUlyV9MwDC?si=w0bkF0lGS3yASr3W5uByRA
As we've just completed the Christian season of Lent, hosts Joe Webb and Brad Davis look back on the drama of Holy Week from Palm Sunday to Easter and discuss how it plays out as liberationist political subversion beyond being merely a series of spiritual stories.
Out MOV is a non-profit organization that serves the social needs of and advocates politically for the LGBTQIA+ community of the Mid Ohio Valley in Wood County, WV and Washington County, OH. Jeanne Peters, a founding member and current vice president, joins Joe for this episode to talk about why events and activities are critical to community building, the importance of intersectionality in advocacy and liberation, and Pride in the Park, the organization's keystone annual event coming up in June 2022. Learn more: Website: https://www.outmov.org/ Pride in the Park: https://www.facebook.com/events/225601353077124 Volunteer signup form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4KjbC0ajznm5I2S9DvhBjktlbOHVKSNWOKpZyhPFlNVjUfQ/viewform Open MOV: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfErAO_kOqbDCYrISO-p7VL5vtZuSH7uZPo1z6Ky47e0hj_aA/viewform
It's pretty clear that most churches and church leaders really don't understand spiritual and religious deconstruction. They tend to either vilify it on the one hand or try to co-opt and mollycoddle it on the other. In this episode, Joe lists the top 5 things he (as a pastor) wishes the church understood about deconstruction and how embracing deconstruction would be good for the church.
Is there an intersection between the Enneagram and spiritual deconstruction? In this episode Joe talks with Enneagram coach Sarah Farish (Instagram: @enneagal) about how using the Enneagram as a tool for self-discovery helps us understand not only ourselves better, but others...and helps us contextualize our individual and communal spiritual journeys.
What is Progressive Christianity? There's probably more to it than you think! In this episode Joe and guest co-host Brad Davis talk with Josh Scott of Gracepointe Church in Nashville, TN, about the deep theology that informs the Progressive Christian movement and explore the concept of Jesus as not only a spiritual leader, but a true first-century organizer.
The cost of wheelchair adaptations for vehicles can often be prohibitive for people who need them. That's why Rev. Chris Wylie produced his album under the name DJ Pastor Rock, "Rolling Nation," to raise money to help people purchase the equipment they need to make transportation more accessible. Learn more at RollingNation.net
Is science the next religion? Retired United Methodist pastor Jim Norton thinks the answer is yes, and it can have a massive influence on the world of faith and spirituality. In this episode, Jim talks with Joe and Brandon about how discoveries in the realms of quantum physics dovetail with the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh to teach us how all things are both unified and eternal.
Everyone loves Christmas, right? Except there are always those things that get under our skin during the holidays. In this episode, the Accidental Tomatoes content team takes a very tounge-in-cheek look at the things we hate about Christmas. Please don't take us too seriously...we certainly don't!
The women of Appalachia have something to say, and our guest for this episode is giving them a place to say it! Alicia Matheney Beeson of the Wild & Wonderful Women of West Virginia Podcast joins Joe and Brandon to talk about why it's so important for the world to listen to the women leading new generations of Appalachians.
While the institutional church struggles to adapt its content to an increasingly online audience, new forms of community are emerging that start from the digital space and grow into all new paradigms of how experience can be shared in virtual spaces. In this episode, innovator James Kang of Pastoria.co talks with Joe and Brandon about how asynchronous content can form the basis for experiential communities and how leaders can leverage new technologies to create transformational experiences unbound by time and space.
If the #hollergospel is about bringing people up from the low places in the world, Brad Davis knows it well because he's been there. In this episode, Brad talks openly and frankly about his time as a drug dealer in the Southern West Virginia coalfields, the almost inescapable spiral of fear and hopelessness of the drug culture, and what motivates him to be part of the solution in a region that seems trapped in multiple layers of addiction.
Joe and Brandon preview Season 3 of the podcast, discussing upcoming guests, plans for new features on the accidentaltomatoes.com website, as well as their favorite Halloween costumes and their aversion to horror movies.
As we continue to prepare for our upcoming third season, we revisit one of our favorite episodes from Season 1 where Joe interviewed social justice activist and author Shane Claiborne in a wide-ranging conversation covering issues from the Sermon on the Mount to gun violence and the death penalty to the Christian response to injustice in the world.
In this re-airing from Season 1 Episode 21, Joe talks with public advocacy specialist Dr. Tomeka Robinson of Hofstra University about why it’s important to center the voices of the marginalized in conversations around justice and equality and the role intersectionality plays in our exercise of privilege.
While we take a short hiatus from new episodes before launching Season 3, we revisit our most-downloaded episode from our first two seasons: Spiritual Trauma with Emily (Stuart) Davey. If you or someone you know has been shamed or ostracized by a religious community or institution, or if you feel like you just don’t fit in those places anymore, this episode is for you.
What if a faith community could see all of its resources—money, time, or access to services—as equal and valid? What if churches asked their neighbors what they need before presuming how to help them? In this episode, Rev. Wendy Hudson of Two Rivers Church in Charleston, SC talks about mutual aid, decolonizing mission, and how her community compensates people from historically marginalized groups for the work they do.
You've seen his cartoons. You've admired his paintings. You've read his books. Now, hear his story! "Naked Pastor" David Hayward sits down with Brandon and Joe to talk about deconstruction, reconstruction, faith development, and how community is at the center of it all. Check out all of David's work at nakedpastor.com
Do all faith traditions lead to the same destination? Or is the idea that all spiritual roads lead to the same place itself insufficient? In this episode we welcome back West Virginia University Sociology Professor Jim Nolan to talk about his concept of the “Temple of Truth” and how different perspectives and entry points lead not to the same place, but deeply into each other.
BONUS: Jim shares his “Apostate’s Creed,” a corrective to unthinking and uncritical religious dogma.
*For a diagram of Jim's Temple of Truth, find the episode page on our website at https://accidentaltomatoes.com
We all like to talk about music and our favorite bands and artists. But what if experiencing music in an intimate setting could be the launchpad for meaningful conversations about life, faith, justice, and everything in between? In this episode, singer-songwriter Jonathon Dewveall talks about how music has the freedom to ask questions without requiring answers and how his “In The Corner” virtual house shows are opening up space for people to explore ideas and discuss difficult topics with authenticity and vulnerability. (Check out Jonathon's music on his Spotify channel)
With tensions regarding police violence on the rise, we’ve seen lots of conversation about how to reform policing or even redistribute funding from certain areas of police activity to other types of support agencies. But former police officer Dr. Jim Nolan, professor of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University and author of two in-depth books on police reform, says the real solution goes beyond catch phrases and hashtags to a fundamental re-thinking of what police departments should—and should not—actually be about. In this episode Jim talks with Joe and Brandon about how a fundamental shift from a strict focus on law enforcement to one built on social contexts could really make our communities safer and even improve both mental and physical health for people.
Pride Month continues at Accidental Tomatoes as Queer clergyperson Sam Blewis talks with Joe about "The Sacred Act of Neighboring," a way of building community around authentic friendships and deep vulnerability.
Our Pride Month celebration continues with a fascinating interview with Isaac Simmons, whose drag persona, Ms. Penny Cost, is bringing an unexpected encounter with the divine to LGBTQ folks and allies across the country. In this episode Isaac talks to Joe and Brandon about how the art form of drag can reclaim religious language within queer spaces and how he's able to redirect negative criticism into life-giving experiences of grace.
In this episode, Joe and Brandon talk to Amy Jo Hutchinson and Sr. Quincy Howard of Faithful Democracy about the For The People Act, a massive piece of voting rights and election reform legislation now before Congress, and why it’s important for communities and people of all kinds of faith expressions to know about and support it. You can sign on to a letter in support of the act to West Virginia’s Senators at this link.
Beer and Hymns may not exactly go together like peanut butter and jelly, but for people seeking spiritual community outside the confines of institutional religion, it's a way to come together for an experience unlike any other! In this episode Joe and Brandon talk with Rich and Alise Chaffins, organizers of Beer and Hymns in Morgantown, WV, about how and why these gatherings are so meaningful for spiritual exiles of all sorts.
In this episode Joe welcomes new podcast co-host Brandon Wood (Hey Mom Everything's Alright) and content creators Jenny Williams (Episodes 24 & 25), Brad Davis (Episode 27), and Heather Moore (Episode 36) for a conversation about how deconstruction and justice-seeking go together and our plans for new material on the blog side of the Accidental Tomatoes content site.
Environmental justice is more than just environmentalism...it sits at the intersection of ecological concerns, culture, race, gender & sexuality, economics, politics, faith, and societal norms. In this episode, environmental justice activist Chett Pritchett joins Joe for a wide-ranging conversation about the complexities and nuances of the environmental justice movement.
Is "Weird Church" really weird? Or is it just a more authentic way of building community around friendships and vulnerability? Pastor and gamer nerd Heather Moore joins Joe for a conversation about how the metaphorical kids' table of the church is quickly becoming the main seating area.
Rabbi Victor Urecki returns to the Accidental Tomatoes Podcast in this episode for a conversation about how the Passover and Easter narratives gain deeper meaning when viewed through an interfaith lens with the Jewish and Christian traditions in dialogue with one another...PLUS, a bonus conversation on the theology of WandaVision!
In this episode Joe welcomes Ginny McKinney of Marshmallow Ranch for a conversation about how loss and grief inspired her to start a new kind of online community, how her faith experience informs her work, and the importance of building relationships through common context.
Musician and podcaster Brandon Wood (Hey Mom, Everything's Alright, brandonwoodmusic.com) sits down with Joe to talk about surviving spiritual abuse, thriving and creating through deconstruction, and making music in all kinds of places. Hear the world premier of Brandon's new single "Not My Home Anymore" and stick around for a special announcement at the end of the episode!
In this episode, Joe talks with disability advocate Rev. Chris Wylie about his experiences with ableism and how disability narratives in scripture can change our individual and cultural perspectives.
Rublev's Trinity is one of the, well, most iconic of Russian Orthodox icons. In this episode Joe talks with Rev. Dr. John Smith about his book on Rublev's Trinity, his work with Orphan's Tree in Russia, and how iconography can help people in spiritual deconstruction rediscover an experience of the divine.
In this episode cross-posted from Social Thread, we invite you to drop in on a conversation between Accidental Tomatoes host Joe Webb and Social Thread hosts Rob Rynders and Robert Payne about the new, non-traditional types of faith communities they're imagining and creating and Rob's research into what motivates people in various religious contexts. (This episode was originally aired on the Social Thread Podcast in October 2019.)
In this episode Joe has a conversation with Charleston WV Rabbi Victor Urecki about the importance of interfaith dialogue and how it can help people of all faith backgrounds better understand their own traditions and sacred texts, and how a robust interfaith conversation can benefit the common good for our society.
Helen Ryde is the Southeastern Regional Organizer for the Reconciling Ministries Network, a group of United Methodists seeking justice for LGBTQ+ people across all the intersections they inhabit. In this episode, Joe talks with Helen about their own faith journey, the work of RMN, and the importance of intersectionality in justice work.
Generations of oppression and exploitation have left the coalfields of central Appalachia among the most economically & socially depressed areas of the world. In this episode, Joe talks with coalfield justice advocate Brad Davis about how systemic dehumanization has affected the region and how his vision for a contextualized "Holler Gospel" can help restore individuals, families, and communities.
David Finnegan-Hosey, author of Christ on the Psych Ward and Grace is a Pre-Existing Condition talks with Joe about mental health stigma, the politics of healthcare, and how the language of Jesus helps us reframe our conversations.
Joe continues his conversation with innovator Jenny Williams about how we can begin to imagine new paradigms for faith communities to exist outside the molds and models of traditional institutional Christianity.
Rev. Jenny Williams is an innovator in ecclesiology, seeking new expressions of faith communities built around intersections of relationships and social justice. In this two-part episode, Joe talks with Jenny about how justice is the truest expression of the gospel and about how we can recapture and redeem troublesome and confusing language to help communities work for justice in their contexts.
In this episode Joe talks with The Collection lead singer David Wimbish about music and community and how vulnerability plays into both. Listen to David's new solo project, "Surface Tension" on your favorite streaming service starting Sept. 4!
In this episode Joe talks with author, speaker, and Norwich City FC faithful Sean Gladding about how community can form around a shared narrative of the Big Story of God. Learn more about Sean at seangladding.com and check out his podcast, The Naked Man.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe talks with public advocacy specialist Dr. Tomeka Robinson of Hofstra University about why it's important to center the voices of the marginalized in conversations around justice and equality and the role intersectionality plays in our exercise of privilege.
In this episode, Joe chats with pastor and theologian Jonathan Dierdorff on competing biblical narratives, challenges in interpretation, and writing a book during pandemic.
Is growing in wisdom more than simply gaining information? Have we traded experiential knowledge of the divine for spiritual formation programs that just give us more data? In this episode, Joe examines the devolution of much of American Christianity into a kind of folk superstition and talks about how a renewed quest for wisdom might change the game.
How one episode from the Old Testament story of King David might help us see where we are in the world today.
In this episode, Joe sits down with longtime friend and software developer Harry Morgan to talk about how they as white people are confronting their complicity in racist systems and structures and learning to accept accountability and make changes that can make a difference in our communities.
Story is one of the most powerful forces in how we shape ideas and attitudes, and the art of storytelling can be a vehicle for deeper understanding. In this episode, storyteller and artist Drew Willard joins Joe for a conversation about the power of good storytelling and how it can give us a clearer picture of the life and way of Jesus than we often experience in traditional formats. Find more of Drew's work at https://www.gospelpilgrimstoryteller.com/
In this episode, Joe interviews social justice activist and author Shane Claiborne in a wide-ranging conversation covering issues from the Sermon on the Mount to gun violence and the death penalty to the Christian response to injustice in the world.
In this episode, Joe talks about how our various states of privilege impact the way we are experiencing life in a global pandemic and how recognizing our privilege can help us create a more equitable and just society on the other side. Special guests Emily Okes and Amanda Webb share how their senses of privilege are shaping their own experiences in complex and nuanced ways.
In this episode from the midst of COVID-19 shelter in place protocols, Joe reflects on what it means to experience the presence of the divine in a real, sensory manner in the mountains of West Virginia.
In this final part of our "Deconstructing Lent" series, Joe looks at some of the often-misused passages from Matthew 7 and places them within Jesus' larger context of deconstruction and reconstruction at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
In Part 3 of our Deconstructing Lent series on the Sermon on the Mount, Joe unpacks the way Jesus moves his 1st Century Jewish audience from deconstruction toward reconstruction in Matthew 6.
In Part 2 of our Deconstructing Lent series, Joe provides more cultural and historical content for the Sermon on the Mount and talks about how Jesus begins to deconstruct his listeners' understanding of Torah, the Jewish legal code of the time.
For Christians, the season of Lent is a time of reflection. But it can also be a time for those of us on the outside of religious traditions to deconstruct some of the myths that often hold us captive. Episode 9 is the first in a four-part series aimed at deconstructing Lent through the lens of one of Jesus' most well-known and important teachings: the Sermon on the Mount from chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the book of Matthew in the New Testament. In this episode, Joe breaks down some of the preconceptions of the language used in the text leading up to the Sermon on the Mount and its opening sections to help us see that there may be a better story to be found than the one we have often been given from traditional ways of teaching. Much of the source material for this series comes from Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy as well as other commentaries by theologians such as Pete Enns, Rob Bell, and NT Wright.
In this Black History Month episode of the podcast, Joe talks about how white privilege happens, how he discovered his own privilege, and why it's so important for white people to recognize privilege and help to re-center the stories of people who have been harmed by it.
More and more we meet people who have experienced or are experiencing some type of spiritual or religious trauma. Our special guest on this episode is Emily Stuart, a graduate student in clinical mental health counseling who has done some very important research into spiritual trauma...and who shares her own story of experiencing it herself firsthand. If you or someone you know has been shamed or ostracized by a religious community or institution, or if you feel like you just don't fit in those places anymore, this episode is for you.
In this week's episode, Joe talks about the statement, "God is Love." Is it really true? And if it is really true, then what does it really mean? Does it make our concept of God too small? Or does our concept of love need to be bigger?
Guest host Anna Webb of Remember That Time: An Historical Podcast joins Joe for a conversation about how the language we use in the church can create unintentional barriers to people's experience of the divine, and how we can learn to be more intentional about the words we choose to create deeper and more meaningful relationships.
Sometimes our expectations can cloud our view of reality. On this episode of the podcast, Joe uses a creative interpretation of a story about Jesus and John the Baptist to talk about how we can be imprisoned by our expectations and how deconstruction and reconstruction can help us see reality more clearly.
A wide-ranging conversation on story, spirituality, interpretation, and embodiment with guest host Amanda Webb of Remember That Time: An Historical Podcast.
Spiritual deconstruction, the process of dismantling inherited belief systems, can be a difficult and painful process. But by understanding why deconstruction happens and where it's heading, we can find an even deeper spirituality as we reconstruct our faith in new and lasting ways.
Once upon a time, a tomato plant grew in an abandoned herb garden despite neglect, lack of feeding & watering, and any whit of intention.
Our churches have too often neglected, failed to nurture, and denied intention to many in our communities. And yet, they persist in insisting that Jesus loves them, that they are worthy, that they deserve to be here.
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