Jesus, Justice + Mercy: Bold faith, radical love and justice for the church
Jesus, Justice + Mercy
Bold faith, radical love, and justice for the church.
Welcome to Jesus, Justice + Mercy, a podcast for those who believe justice matters but aren’t sure how it fits with the faith they’ve always known. If you’re wrestling with the disconnect between Jesus and what you see in the church, you’re not alone.
I'm your host, Kristen, a woman rooted in the church, learning to reimagine faith through the lens of justice and mercy. In this season, we’ll explore the tensions between faith, justice, and identity. We’ll unpack hard questions about race, trauma, civic responsibility, and how we move forward with bold faith and radical love.
Whether you’re deconstructing, rebuilding, or simply asking honest questions, this is a space to listen, learn, and live out a justice-centered faith that’s deeply rooted in the heart of Scripture.
Episodes
36 episodes
Reread, Repent, Repair: Exegesis for Everyday Disciples
How we read Scripture shapes how we live it. In this episode, Kristen walks through exegesis, learning how to think with the Bible, not just what to think. We start with why names and narratives matter (think Columbus Day → In...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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38:10
Jesus Isn’t Running for Office: Because God Doesn’t Need Political Power to Bring His Kingdom
How did a young theologian in 1930s Germany see what so many others missed?In this episode, Kristen revisits Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s question, “Who is Jesus Christ for us today?” and boldly traces the unsettling parallels between Hit...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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35:07
Holy Ghosting: Faithful but Left Behind
When faith begins to stretch toward the justice of Jesus, it can cost you belonging. Suddenly, the people who once prayed beside you pull away, and the table that once felt full grows quiet. In this episode, Kristen traces that ache...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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28:36
Holy Sawdust: Because Building the Kingdom gets Messy
What if Jesus was a carpenter not just by trade, but by intention? What if his workshop was meant to show us how to build a kingdom table, one wide enough, strong enough, and welcoming enough for everyone?In this episode, Kristen explore...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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27:25
Jesus Made Me Do It: The Spiritual Work of Unlearning
Episode 12: Jesus Made Me Do It: The Spiritual Work of UnlearningIn a week marked by another school shooting, Christians lionizing a man who built his platform on hate, and the devastating news of two Black men fou...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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22:02
Half a Gospel Is No Gospel at All: Liberation for the poor, resisted by the powerful
Half a Gospel Is No Gospel at All: Liberation for the poor, resisted by the powerfulWhy do churches resist justice? In this episode, Kristen digs into the roots of resistance in our faith communities, beginning with James Cone and...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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31:43
Tariffs of Faith: The Price of Justice-Rooted Discipleship
What does it really cost to follow Jesus? In this episode of Jesus, Justice + Mercy, Kristen explores the Tariffs of Faith, the price we pay when discipleship is rooted in justice, not cheap grace.From Moses’ mother and...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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17:44
When Faith Refuses to Whitewash: Candice Zakariya on Justice and Discipleship
In my very first interview on Jesus, Justice + Mercy, I sit down with my dear friend Candice Zakariya, a disciple-maker, Bible teacher, and business coach whose story is deeply rooted in faith and justice.Candice shares h...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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43:49
"Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve: Faith at the Altar of Power"
From Constantine to Christian nationalism, the church has faced a choice: align with empire or follow Jesus. This episode traces moments when faith bent toward power—and the courageous voices that refused to bow.Episode Summary
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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36:51
Over Before It Started: Power, Oppression, and the Systems That Decide Who Wins
In this episode of Jesus, Justice + Mercy, Kristen dives into the hidden systems shaping our everyday lives from schools and healthcare to voting rights and clean water. She unpacks how privilege and intersectionality determine who get...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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34:15
The Part We Skipped in Sunday School: What History Forgot and Faith Can’t Ignore
Episode 6: The Part We Skipped in Sunday School, What History Forgot, and Faith Can’t IgnoreWe can’t tell the story of justice without naming the stories the Church forgot, or chose not to tell. In this episode of Jesus,...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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35:04
Not Just Pie and Playlists: Bias, Privilege, and the Bible
Episode 5: “Not Just Pie and Playlists: Bias, Privilege, and the Bible”Bias isn’t just about politics. Privilege isn’t just about power. And interpreting Scripture isn’t as neutral as we’ve been taught.In this deeply personal ...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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33:16
Exodus Faith – When You’ve Left, but Haven’t Arrived
There’s a sacred tension between the Jesus we love and the version of faith many of us inherited. If you’ve ever felt caught in the messy middle, between belonging and questioning, between clarity and disorientation, this episode is for you.
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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34:24
Jesus Isn’t Triggered by Justice, (But We Might Be): Why God’s vision of justice goes beyond culture wars, punishment, or politics.
Episode 3: Jesus Isn’t Triggered by Justice, But We Might BeJustice makes some Christians squirm, but Jesus never flinched. So why do we?In this episode, we untangle the difference between biblical justice and the modern versi...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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36:21
Why Does Social Justice Feel So Divisive in the Church?
Why does something so clearly rooted in Scripture feel so controversial in Christian spaces? In this episode, we name the emotional, cultural, and theological weight behind the term “social justice” from fear and guilt to confusion and grief. W...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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32:41
Is it possible to love Jesus and pursue justice?
For the believer who’s wrestling with faith, identity, and the world’s deep ache.Can you love Jesus and care deeply about justice? If you’ve ever felt caught in that tension—longing to follow Christ while also seeking c...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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13:49
The Other Side of Adoption: Systems, Families, Trauma, and Hope
Welcome to the first episode of Summer Snippets! In this episode, we look at the complex topic of adoption, focusing on the unplanned removal of children from their families and the systemic issues within the foster care system. We'll discu...
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Episode 18
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11:32
Generational Shadows: Youth Incarceration's Legacy on Trauma and Poverty
As we finish Season 1, Episode 17 is a short episode exploring the "School to Prison Pipeline," a critical issue pushing at-risk children from classrooms into the justice system, highlighting its devastating impact on marginalized com...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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18:53
Bearing Witness: Navigating Mental Health and Miracles
In Episode 16 Kristen opens up about a deeply personal experience involving her 18-year-old son's mental health crisis. The episode, marked by vulnerability and raw emotion, explores the challenges of parenting a child with mental health st...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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19:14
Unraveling Inequities: Poverty, Race and the Foster System
This week, we look at the intricate intersections of poverty, race, and the foster care system, offering a deep exploration rather than mere observation. With a compassionate yet critical lens, this episode seeks to unravel the complexities sur...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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26:58
Beyond the System: A Journey of Love, Loss, Healing and Faith
In this heartfelt episode of Jesus, Justice, and Mercy, we embark on a deeply personal journey with our host, Kristen, as she shares her experiences with foster care, adoption, and childhood trauma. As May highlights National Foster Care Month ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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28:20
Threads of Inequality: Exploring Poverty Through a Christian Lens
In episode thirteen, we look at the intricate dynamics of poverty in the United States, unraveling its multifaceted nature and shedding light on its far-reaching impacts. Through exploring data, personal anecdotes, and historical insights, Kris...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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34:44
Embracing the Other: Faith, Justice, and Immigration in America
Welcome to Jesus, Justice, and Mercy, Episode 12! In this thought-provoking episode, Kristen dives into the concept of 'othering' and its profound impact on society, particularly in the context of US history and immigration polic...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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28:54
Radical Restitution: The Revolutionary Vision of Jubilee
In episode 11, we dive into the profound concept of Jubilee as outlined in the Old Testament. Join Kristen as she explores the connections between ancient laws and contemporary reflections on justice and equity. Discover how the principles of J...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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20:37
Justice Envisioned: Untangling the threads of faith and action
In this podcast, we explore biblical passages, with a particular focus on the writings of Paul in Romans and the book of James. Throughout each episode, we have navigated these texts' historical and cultural contexts, challenging ourselves ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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29:00
