The FINAL episode of Season 10 arrives featuring Jenai Auman! Don’t forget to rate the show and share it widely! In this episode….

This conversation revolves around themes explored in Jenai’s book “Othered,” focusing on her experiences navigating toxic church environments and the subsequent journey toward healing and liberation. After introductions, Jenai and Rohadi dissect the dynamics of gaslighting and DARVO within toxic church environments, shedding light on the emotional turmoil and internal fractures caused by oppressive church systems. They delve into Jenai’s personal narrative of betrayal and resilience, emphasizing the profound cost of leaving toxic communities while highlighting the transformative power of reclaiming agency and identity. Throughout the conversation, they underscore the importance of boundaries and cultivating genuine belonging outside of oppressive structures, ultimately revealing the potential for liberation and renewal found in embracing one’s “otherness.”

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Prasanta Verma’s debut book, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness, is the topic for our conversation. If you’re not white then you have at some point or another, maybe even recently, have fielded the question, “so what are you?” or “where are you really from?” Trying to fit into community often means assimilating, or giving up a piece of yourself in order to find belonging. That posture leaves folks on the margins unseen, in a space of loneliness, and often causing loss of cultural identity. We talk about these realities and offer some solutions of what’s beyond–how to live out our whole selves.

• Importance of Truth and Storytelling: We engage the importance and significance of sharing personal stories, especially among marginalized communities. This is seen as essential for fostering understanding and challenging societal norms.
• Diverse Perspectives on Belonging: Belonging is complex and how it differs for individuals based on factors like race, ethnicity, and personal experiences . We highlight the need for diverse narratives that reject a single, homogenized perspective.
• Generational Shifts and Hope: Our conversations touches upon generational shifts and attitudes towards social issues that express hope for progress. Despite recognizing ongoing challenges, there’s optimism about the potential for positive change, particularly among younger generations.
• Emphasis on Connection and Community: How do we get there? Connection, empathy, and community-building. We highlight the role of shared experiences and supportive networks in fostering a sense of belonging and personal growth.

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One of the top books for Christian non-fiction in 2024, Lamar Hardwick joins Rohadi on the show to talk about his latest book and the topic: How Ableism Fuels Racism. This eye opening connection between disability and racism will shift paradigms for listeners. This episode is released as full hour long conversation. We begin the conversation surrounding the historical formation of white supremacy in America, tied to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and connect the dots to the root source of anti-Blackness: ableism. As soon as white supremacy becomes about bodies, something must be developed to build an understanding certain bodies (white) are more valuable than others (Black and Indigenous). What those factors are ranging from intellect to supposed inherent biological traits, are built on the ruse of “disability”. We interrogate not only historical formation but how the same factors remain at play in the present with the policing of Black bodies including other intersections like health and faith. This conversation ends with a cursory view on the theological underpinnings of ableist theology that not only look at contributing bodies of work from Black or brown traditions as inferior, but also how the disabled Christ is sanitized to accommodate white superiority and thought.

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