Category: Podcast

Faith, Civic Life, and the Midterms On this episode of the “Faithful Disruption” podcast, Trista Soendker-Nicholson takes part in a midterm election webinar and conversation with Leslie LeSieur, senior director of the Center for Ministry and Lay Training at Phillips. They discuss questions attendees have about the upcoming election and how faith is a part of the process. There are also midterm election resources available.   Election Season, Democracy and Staying Well for the Midterms Resources from the Center for Religion in Public Life at Phillips Theological Seminary CRPL AT PHILLIPS OCT 22, 2026 (original publication date) As the November midterm elections approach, the Center for Religion in Public Life has published conversations and reflections on civic life. Here are three places to start, along with two more resources for additional reading. Basics In “Civics 101”, Faithful Disruption podcast host Trista Soendker Nicholson talks with civics teacher Jessica Hill about the fundamentals of civic life ahead of the midterms. It is a useful refresher for anyone who wants to return to the fundamentals before voting. Money matters In “Climate Connections,” Nicholson interviews U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. He argues that conservative “dark money” groups are corrupting the federal government to block climate action. Take care The post “Just… tired” begins with observations that people are “all just tired” after a session on staying connected with congregations during election season. The post names a series of news stories as a source of exhaustion. It argues that caring for yourself helps you keep doing faith-based and political work over the long term. Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk is recommended. While it was published more than 20 years ago, addresses burnout without minimizing trauma. Learn more about the book. Further reading • Brennan Center for Justice: a series on threats to elections • What We Are Reading: Election Edition, from the Center Questions about the Center or these resources? Write to crpl@ptstulsa.edu (created with a little help from Claude AI).  

On this episode of Faithful Disruption, Trista’s guest is Krystal Grizzle, Director of Events and Hospitality at Phillips Theological Seminary and Bedford House. Grizzle, a dedicated poll worker in Tulsa […]

Welcome to “Faithful Disruption: Religion in Public Life” with Trista Soendker Nicholson. She is the executive director of the Center for Religion in Public Life at Phillips Theological Seminary. On […]

On this episode of “Faithful Disruption,” Trista’s guest is Jessica Hill. She is a middle school civics teacher in the Kansas City area. She was also the teacher for both […]

On this episode of “Faithful Disruption,” Trista’s guest is U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. He has represented Rhode Island in the United States Senate since 2007. The senator has a reputation as […]

On this episode of “Faithful Disruption,” Trista’s guest is Chris Shannahan, author of Life on the Breadline: Theology, Poverty and Politics in an Age of Austerity. He is an Associate […]

The Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr., a Phillips alum and longest serving pastor at East Sixth Street Christian Church in Oklahoma City, discusses his lifelong commitment to resistance and change. He […]

On this episode of our Faithful Disruption podcast, Trista Soendker-Nicholson talks with the artist Anthony Suber about the intersection of his art, resistance and faith. He is the featured artist […]

Join Trista Soendker Nicholson as she discusses the origins of the Center for Religion in Public LIfe with its founder, Gary Peluso-Verdend. You can also read Trista’s latest blogs. CLICK […]

The relationship between Judaism and the New Testament has often been clouded by misinterpretation and bias. On the new episode of Committing Faith in Public, Phillips Theological Seminary President Doug […]