The Progressive Christians Podcast

A lot of times we discuss the disturbing rise of MAGA Christian Nationalism on this podcast - but today, we are featuring a progressive politician that has literally flipped that narrative. Joanna Whaley was formerly a conservative evangelical pastor, but had a spiritual journey that culminated in a bid for Michigan State Representative - where she could be the first openly transgender representative in Michigan's history.
How does a story like this unfold? How did Joanna's religious experience lead her to run for office? What does she stand for, and how would she represent the people of Michigan?
Find out all that and more in this very special episode!
(And for Michiganders - make sure you're registered to vote for your August 4th primary!)
If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
Show Notes:
- Support Joanna - https://www.joannawhaley.com/
- Joanna's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joannawhaleyofficial/
- Joanna's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/joannawhaleyofficial/
- Joanna's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@joannawhaleyofficial
- Huffington Post article about Military and end times prophecy - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/troops-being-told-to-prepare-for-armageddon-in-iran_n_69a6ffe3e4b076ac5d63c82c 
- FedEx class action lawsuit - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fedex-tariff-refunds-lawsuit-consumers/
- Ticketmaster lawsuit - https://apnews.com/article/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-trial-ecfd6cb3e77459412584ed002653bc8f
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected]. 
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians 
#progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion

It's the beginning of the Lenten season! Dr. Carter is gone, so Everest is leading us on a journey through the history of Lent all the way to the modern political implications of the holiday. Join us for an especially meditative and spiritual episode of exploring discipline, tradition, and why we practice Christianity the way we do.
If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
Show Notes:
- A brief history of lent: https://groundworkonline.com/blog/a-short-version-of-the-long-history-of-lent
- American women break Olympic record: https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/record-setting-winter-olympics-6-152329010.html
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians 
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected]. 
#progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion

There's been a lot of talk about "deconstruction" in Progressive Christian circles, but we've been hearing that y'all want more talk of "constructing" beliefs. A major philosophy that serves as constructive for many Progressive Christians is known as Liberation Theology. Stemming from marginalized communities in the Americas, Liberation Theology focuses on Jesus' teachings on "the least of these."
Join us for a fun, educational breakdown of this philosophy! We discuss the many origins, the biblical basis, the ways it has been modernized, and even some criticisms of Liberation Theology. 
And don't forget to let us know what you think!
Show Notes:
- Trump's approval ratings:
 https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/article/poll-trumps-approval-rating-hits-new-low-as-immigration-backlash-grows-and-ice-withdraws-from-minnesota-204723473.html  
- Michigan's lawsuit against Big Oil: 
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/05/michigan-oil-climate-crisis-energy-cost 
- The Kristi Noem Plane Stuff: 
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ice-barbies-mile-high-privacy-with-alleged-lover-exposed/ 
- The Marxist Roots of Black Liberation Theology: 
https://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2008/04/02/marxist-roots-black-liberation-theology 
- What is Black Liberation Theology (bad): 
https://www.gotquestions.org/black-liberation-theology.html 
- Gustavo Gutierrez - A Theology of Liberation
- James Cone - A Black Theology of Liberation
- Cover Art: Jesus of the People by Janet Mckenzie - 
https://janetmckenzie.com/joppage1.html
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected]. 
If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians

Project 2025 was all over the news when Trump was first elected. But now that we're a year in - what about Project 2026? The Heritage Foundation hasn't released an official "Project 2026," but they have put out their political priorities for the year, and they look about as bad as you would expect. 
This episode, we go through all nine of them, and focus on the ways that the Trump administration is coming after women. From attacking voting rights, to medical autonomy, to trying to force women to be nothing but baby incubators - it's no doubt that they are looking to strip women of their rights in this country. The Heritage Foundation is obsessed with this idea of "The American Family," and in their pursuit of forced conformity to this idea, women and queer people are their first targets.
Show Notes:
Rebecca Copeland Entangled Being - https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481321426/entangled-being/
Marriage Improves Men's Health Outcomes - https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/marriage-and-mens-health 
Marriage Reduces Health Outcomes for Women - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5397241/ 
Women Lose Earning potential by becoming mothers - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4041155/ 
Empowered Women Can Transform the World's Poorest Communities - https://time.com/collections/time100-voices/7016128/women-uplift-poorest-communities/ 
Bad Bunny's Halftime Show numbers - https://www.thebiglead.com/most-watched-super-bowl-halftime-shows-bad-bunny-v/
NASA was saved by grassroots campaigns - https://www.planetary.org/articles/advocacy-success-fy2026-nasa-budget
NASA source #2 - https://www.astronomy.com/science/congress-passes-nasa-budget-rejects-trump-cuts/
The Heritage Foundation issues a report on "America's Family Crisis." -
https://michiganindependent.com/politics/heritage-foundation-report-families-marriage-education-infertility-fetal-personhood/#:~:text='%E2%80%9D,for%20women%20than%20for%20men.%E2%80%9D
The Heritage Foundation Wants to Send Women Back a Century -
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/opinion/heritage-foundation-women.html#:~:text=The%20report's%20authors%20know%20they,children%20reared%20primarily%20at%20home.%E2%80%9D
The Christian Nationalist Plot to Disenfranchise Women Voters -
https://newrepublic.com/article/191420/christian-nationalism-save-act-voter-suppression
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians 
If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

The massive political polarization of today can make fighting for change seem impossible, but there is an extra layer when you're someone responsible for kids. This week, our friend Claire McKeever-Burgett returns to discuss parenting in our Fascist reality. We discuss children's radically empathetic nature, ways to help them (and you) find their place in the resistance, and the importance of keeping an open mind - especially in the last places you would think. This episode is for everyone, not just parents. As Blair says: "everyone is in relationship with children, because children are a part of society." Take a load off and rest with us, knowing you're not alone in this journey.
Support our work here:
https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 
Show Notes:
- Claire's website:
https://www.clairemckeeverburgett.com/ 
- Claire's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/clairemckeeverburgett/ 
- Claire's Substack:
https://clairemckeeverburgett.substack.com/ 
- Spain approves legal pathway for 500,000 immigrants to gain residency
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62n6gw1dp9o  
- Revolutionary therapy treats "untreatable" blood cancer: "A few years ago this would have been science fiction." 
https://www.positive.news/society/revolutionary-therapy-treats-untreatable-blood-cancer/ 
- California court hears two cases to protect kids from the effects of social media: 
https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/01/social-media-addiction-suits-in-california/  
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  
If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].