#127-B: Discussing Bridget Eileen Rivera on what gay Christians experience in church

BONUS EPISODE! I’m away on vacation so instead of a fresh interview, Tryphena and I decided to share our B-Side from episode 127 (back in the days of episode 127 the B-Sides were exclusive to patrons only). Tryphena echoed the question of many listeners by asking why—after 3 years—I decided to publicly engage the topic of LGBTQ+ faith when I have been mostly silent on it. You’ll hear lots of my own story with my dad, and we talked about Bridget’s amazing poise and grace in carrying this heavy burden, for all our benefit. And more!

Jonathan PuddleApril 21, 2022b-side, lgbtq, sex, relationships, church, pastoringComment

#127: What gay Christians experience in church (with Bridget Eileen Rivera)

Bridget Eileen Rivera comes to The Puddcast this month to share what it’s like for LGBTQ Christians in the church today. Her book, Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church, is a compassionate, heartbreaking exposé on the theological and sociological structures that block queer Christians from pursuing Christ together. Bridget shared her journey of growing up believing she was an object of wrath, before diving into Scripture to find the truth of her belovedness. We explore some of the different ways queer Christians live out their faithfulness and the importance of allowing everyone the dignity to follow the Holy Spirit. I commend this discussion to you as strongly as I can.

Jonathan PuddleApril 8, 2022lgbtq, sex, relationships, church, pastoringComment

#124: The wisdom of your body (with Hillary L. McBride, PhD)

I had the great joy of welcoming author, psychologist, researcher and podcaster Hillary L. McBride, PhD to the show this week. We discussed the idea that our bodies are a source of wisdom and truth, the topic of her critically important new book, The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living. Hillary shared profound insights on the burdens our bodies bear when we ignore them, the ways Western colonialism has disembodied all of us, and how salvation itself can be a bodily reality. She offers helpful guidance for those of us getting used to being in-person again after COVID lockdowns, and more. I highly recommend this discussion and her book!

Jonathan PuddleDecember 9, 2021embodiment, touch, covid-19, psychology, sex, masculinityComment

#103: The Great Sex Rescue (with Sheila Wray Gregoire & Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach)

This week, popular Christian sex blogger and author Sheila Wray Gregoire returns to the show with her daughter Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach to discuss their groundbreaking research on harmful Evangelical teachings about sex. They conducted a survey of 22,000 Christian women to test many popular evangelical teachings about sex and see how they corresponded with women’s sexual and marital satisfaction. Their findings are important and powerful, and they’re available in their new book, The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended. Content warning: contains a discussion on sexual assault in marriage, and is not appropriate for children. This interview offers hope to anyone who grew up in purity culture, or who has experienced sexual difficulties in marriage and wondered whether it was all their fault.

Jonathan PuddleFebruary 25, 2021sex, marriage, love, restoration, relationships, deconstructionComment

#38: Marriage & sex stereotypes (with Sheila Wray Gregoire)

Sheila Wray Gregoire, author of The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, and owner of the popular blog To Love, Honor and Vacuum joined me on the show to discuss sexual intimacy and the many stereotypes that exist surrounding marriage. Sheila shared some insightful and practical advice on dating, marital communication, sex and more.

Jonathan PuddleApril 18, 2019marriage, sex, communication, relationships Comments

#29: I Kissed My Dating Book Goodbye (with Joshua Harris)

If you were a Christian teenager in the late 90s or early 2000s there’s a good chance you read or were influenced by “I Kissed Dating Goodbye.” Twenty years on Joshua Harris has re-evaluated his message and removed the books from print. Joshua and I discussed the purity culture, the positive and negative effects of encouraging abstinence, his role in the pain that people experienced, and what the church can do better to prevent things like this happening in the future.

Jonathan PuddleJanuary 31, 2019dating, sex, marriage, relationships, churchComment

#8: Does easy sex block your destiny? (with Rob Kowalski)

Rob and I discussed whether cheap sex can block you from reaching your destiny, if I missed out on fun times by getting married young, and how to build a fulfilling community of friends while you wait for someone special.

Jonathan PuddleJuly 12, 2018sex, dating, relationships, destiny, communityComment