Category: Christianity

Christian fiction author Allison K. Garcia returns to Potstirrer Podcast to share with us about her upcoming novel, Finding Seguridad, the second in the Buscando Home series. The conversation includes discussion of themes in the book, as well as a range of topics, including the experiences of Latino immigrants and other marginalized groups in the current political and social environment, domestic violence, deconstruction and reconstruction of Christian faith, coming out as LGBTQ+ as a Christian, Black Lives Matter, and more.

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This multi-episode series is about the history of relations between the United States and the Middle East, including both US foreign policy and the Middle Eastern immigrant experience.

In this episode, Jaye discusses the decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire, including World War I and the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which set into motion the partition of the Middle East after the war. How is the decline of the Ottoman Empire a cautionary tale of the dangers of nationalism? Also, how did Sykes-Picot affect relations between the Middle East and the West for decades to come?

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode includes discussion of violent themes, specifically war and genocide. Listener discretion is advised.

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In this commentary episode, Jaye shares her reaction to the events during the week of the 2020 Republican National Convention, including the shooting of Jacob Blake Jr. by police, and the shooting at the resulting Kenosha, WI protests, allegedly perpetrated by Kyle Rittenhouse. How did the police approach each of these incidents, and what do the differences say about the nature of police brutality and the police state in America? Jaye makes the case that the way the police, the Republican Party, and many right-wing voices discuss the terrorist attack committed at the Kenosha protests should give every American, regardless of race or ideology, pause.

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode involves discussion of crime, police brutality and bigotry, including physical violence, murder, and racism. Listener discretion is advised.

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In this public posting of an episode originally released as a Patreon bonus in August 2018 (original title: Abuse: Endorsed by Scripture?), Jaye discusses the use of Romans 13:1-5, a passage in the Bible invoked by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the White House Press Secretary at the time, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, to justify the separation and detainment of families seeking asylum at the US-Mexico border. What does this Bible passage really mean – in a historical and contemporary context – if Sessions and Sanders are correct? Jaye warns of the danger of using religious passages to justify oppressive government actions. This episode also includes fresh new commentary that frames this episode in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests.

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode includes discussion of physical and sexual abuse, including the abuse of children. Listener discretion is advised.

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In the public release of the February 2019 Patreon bonus episode, Jaye discusses the news story from January 2019 about the confrontation in Washington DC, between Catholic high school students from Northern Kentucky and a Native American elder. How does a seemingly straightforward news story, complete with video, morph into a controversy dividing society along the familiar lines of partisanship and race?

Jaye happens to live in the same metropolitan area the school is located, and she gives her unique insight on the events and underlying issues, as well as the symbolism of the Make America Great Again hats worn by the students. For the public release, Jaye also gives an update of the incident, and reframes it in light of Black Lives Matter and America’s current reckoning with its treatment of black and indigenous people of color (BIPOC).

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Against the backdrop of a deadly pandemic, the fabric of the United States is coming undone. Jaye discusses the impact of the novel coronavirus on communities of color, including Black, Latino, and Native Americans. Also, were the anti-quarantine protests truly “peaceful,” and who was truly behind those protests? In addition, Jaye reflects on the George Floyd murder by Minneapolis police officers, the resulting anti-police brutality protests, and the aggressive police response. What do the events of 2020 say about our country’s leadership and the future of America?

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode involves discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic, police brutality, and historical events related to racial, ethnic, disability and class discrimination, including discussion of violence, illness, injury & death. Listener discretion is advised.

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This multi-episode series is about the history of relations between the United States and the Middle East, including both US foreign policy and the Middle Eastern immigrant experience. In this episode, Jaye recounts the early history of relations between the United States and the Middle East, focusing on the Barbary Wars, and delves into early immigration to the US from the Middle East. What role did religion play in the acceptance of early Middle Eastern immigrants, and how did people of Middle Eastern descent become “white” in America?

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This multi-episode series is about the history of relations between the United States and the Middle East, including both US foreign policy and the Middle Eastern immigrant experience.

This episode is a brief history of the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, from the decline of the Roman Empire to the rise of the Ottoman Empire. In the first episode of Potstirrer Podcast not to center on US politics or culture, Jaye discusses the Great Schism, the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire, the Crusades, and more.

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode includes discussion of war, with references to physical and sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised.

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In the public release of the September 2019 Patreon Exclusive, Jaye discusses Donald Trump’s “disloyalty” comments regarding Jewish Democrats. Why would Trump rely on an anti-Semitic trope while stating he is an ardent supporter of Israel? Jaye also outlines reasons why white evangelicals, who are overwhelmingly loyal to Donald Trump, are also ardent supporters of the state of Israel. How do their politics in regards to Israel mesh with their support of a president who tacitly gives cover to anti-Semitic white supremacists?

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In the final episode of 2019, Chuckles joins Jaye for a countdown and discussion of the five most downloaded episodes of 2019. They also talk about the 2020 presidential election, including the Trump impeachment, predictions for the Democratic nomination, and if Trump will be re-elected.

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NOTE: Potstirrer Podcast will be on break in the month of January, to prepare for the 2020 election cycle, but will be back in early February!