It’s Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday or perhaps even Fat Tuesday-the eve of Lent, the beginning of forty days of self-reflection, and for some, forty days of no chocolate or sugar! So we are talking about why feasting is as important as fasting and also how it feels to be shriven! www.handcogroup.com/the-dance-of-death www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week it’s a post-Valentine conversation about the most elusive and consuming of all human emotions: love. What is it? Why can we never find the words? Why does Maria keep saying death when she means love?! All this and other prognostications about l-o-v-e. www.handcogroup.com/the-dance-of-death www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week we are discussing Ernest Becker's "The Denial of Death," zeroing in on a particular chapter entitled, "Human Character as a Vital Lie." OUCH! Join us as we probe further into the illusionary nature of life and what it might mean to live fully human vs. part. www.handcogroup.com/the-dance-of-death www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

We are back!  Back from our slumber or back from our sabbatical or...back from our death sleep?  Perhaps that is more appropriate given the subject matter of this week's podcast, which inaugurates Sacred Anarchies, Season 2!  It's good to be back! www.handcogroup.com/the-dance-of-death www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

The emergence of ‘man-tenance’? Conscious bars? All that and how men’s skincare might herald new theological horizons and why the hyper-personalization of our lives is a pointer to changing understanding of the self, the world, and maybe even the gods! www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

In this week's conversation we cover everything from a comment left on an Instagram feed about narrative versus empirical realities, and why binary conversations about the ‘real world’ are seldom satisfying and then how design might offer new ways of thinking through theology and other issues, ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ said Maria, but then we talked about sinks so…we cover it all this time around! www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

Religion has been in the news a fair bit this past week. The usual uproar and indignation over this or that. It really does seem to echo the same theme over and over again, that religious leaders are out of touch and insensitive and too quick to uphold the institution at the expense of human dignity. So we have a moan about that, but we also talk about 16th century clockwork automaton monks that can kiss their rosaries and self-flagellate because we are committed to bringing the most important religious news items to you from the past as well as the present. www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week we are delighted to welcome a special guest Brien Aadland.  Brien is a Minneapolis based theologian and practitioner with a great story to tell about finding faith, losing faith and finding a very different version of it again. In some ways it mirrors many of the conversations we hear over and over about the struggle with dogmatic and institutional forms of faith that seem to stifle and snuff out individual quests but Brien’s story takes some unique turns. Enjoy the conversation! www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week's conversation is all about the power of words. Not the power of words in the hyper-religious ‘name it and claim it’ sense nor in the new age ‘manifesting’ sense of things, but the real power of words and the ways in which new understanding of the relationship between the brain and the body are reframing the way people think about words-the energy they do or don’t exact from our bodies-it’s a fascinating idea that caught our attention and we thought it would be a good thing to share with you. www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week we chat about Jacques Derrida, the father, or perhaps, Godfather of deconstruction. Maria has been reading a wonderful new biography of the man that has opened her understanding of Derrida's work and she wanted to talk about it. This is not a theory heavy conversation as much as an enthusiastic cheer for ideas whose time has come and keeps on coming…perhaps. ;) www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week we talk about Bob Dylan-he just turned 80 and we thought it was worth taking a moment to reflect on an event early in his career that in many ways charted a course for him that continues to both challenge and inspire. We all struggle with pleasing others and meeting their expectations of us, but what do we do when we anger even our most ardent supporters? Well this story from Dylan’s life might just shine a light on that. www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

Data mining, predictive analytics, algorithms. This week we are discussing an ad tells you how to ‘live beyond the algorithm’ and  of course it’s connected to buying something. So we take a dive into marketing, advertising, and digitality, talking about how our lives are shaped by both technology and consumerism. Is there a way to truly break out of algorithmic conformity besides buying a product? Listen to our conversation to see what we think might be the answer to that question. www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week we delve into a couple of articles that popped up in our world on the subject of free will. Contemporary data and neuroscience sciences argue against the notion. But the implications of there being no free will causes some who believe it to be a myth to argue that we should continue in the illusion that there is such a thing to stop us falling into despair? We also realize we’ve both read different articles in preparation for the podcast—was that free will or what?! www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week we celebrate the publishing of a particular book and talk about our new class. It’s about crafting a faith without illusions and we are really excited to offer it! It’s a conversation you’ll be hard pressed to find in the theological world, but one we think is incredibly important and pertinent to all who are examining their faith and trying to work out what next, what the heck, or even what the hell?! Listen in to hear what we have to say. https://www.handcogroup.com/faith-without-illusions

This week we are talking post theism and 'blasphemous hallelujahs' with Micah J. Murray of Existentialist Happy Hour. We unpack what Micah means by 'profane praise,' telling all sorts of stories along the way while also delving deep into moving on from the God that is idol and damaging illusion to an understanding of life that is sacrilegious against a certain type of god and certain types of sacred things. This is a conversation you don't want to miss! micahjmurray.com instagram: @micahjmurray

This week we discuss a brand new magazine, which could be a book, and perhaps even more than a book-it even comes with its own Gucci inspired music on a flexible-disc. It’s called Perfect and we chat about why they chose that name, the impetus behind the project, why their inaugural issue was Issue 0 and why on earth would anyone launch something new in the middle of a global lockdown? Well, it might be the smartest move anyone could make. www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week on the podcast we chat with Jo Luehmann. A force of nature who speaks her mind and her truth with dignity and clarity, challenging status quo and conventional wisdom about most things church related. She pulls no punches which means you can have a real discussion about things like deconstruction, decolonizing theology, church leadership and even marriage and raising children and pretty much everything else! Follow Jo's work on instagram @joluehmann or on patreon at patreon.com/joluehmann

This week we talk with our friend John Caputo, the man who put philosophical deconstruction into dialog with Christianity. John is a marvel. He continues to write, speak and lead the way in radical theological conversation. We get the lowdown on what he thinks about his own work and his thoughts on Radical Theology and the pandemic, and so much more-it’s a good one! www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

Well, Lil Nas X pole danced his way into hell and the culture wars with his latest video.  On the back of releasing an exclusive collaboration ‘Satan Shoes’ (complete with upside down cross, pentagram and a drop of blood in the sole), his latest video has drawn the ire of conservatives. Are we really ‘wrestling for the soul of a nation’ or is this just one more example of the inability of many Christians to rightly read what’s going on in culture? This week we talk about the video, the shoes, the theology of both,  and why we think it’s time for a different kind of cultural conversation. www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_

This week our guest is Josh de Keijzer. If you know him from his daily radical theology memes on Instagram you’ll know that he has a way with words and a very specific take on modern Christianity and the challenges it faces as well as a unique take on the contemporary market-based gods of consumer society. He lives and works in his homeland of The Netherlands but he and Maria share some Seminary experiences from their time in Minneapolis back in the day. @aftergodsend joshdekeyzer.com www.handcogroup.com Instagram: @h_andco_