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Everyone's Agnostic Podcast


Cass & Marie interview people you don’t know, about a subject no one wants to talk about. We hope to encourage people in the process of deconstructing their faith and help curb the loneliness that accompanies it. We think the world is a better place when more people live by sight, not by faith.

Jul 12, 2015

A native of Birmingham, AL, Jennifer graduated from Samford University in 1996 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. For 13 years, her career progressed as an advertising executive developing campaigns for major global brands such as Citigroup, MasterCard and Chase. This work took her from Atlanta to New York City, where she also spent time working in theater, independent film, commercials and playwriting. Intrigued by the power of story to increase human empathy, and the dynamic effect of popular culture and personal narrative on political persuasion, faith practices and ideological identity, Jennifer left her business career to attend Union Theological Seminary in New York City. At Union, she studied inter-religious dialogue, Christian ethics and feminist theology, and immersed in faith-based social justice initiatives. She graduated in 2011 with a Master of Divinity.

Jennifer has since applied her mix of skills and interests in non-profit executive positions at the nation’s largest inter-religious media company, Odyssey Networks, and the inter-faith dialogue and advocacy organization Intersections International. She is also Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the Int’l Center for Religion and Diplomacy in Washington DC where she serves as liaison to the United Nations.

She writes regularly for Patheos and Huffington Post as Femmevangelical: The Modern Girl’s Guide to the Good News, and hosts a monthly radio show segment about women, faith and politics on national Fairness Radio.

She speaks charitably of a term Jesus used most commonly translated as the ‘kingdom of god” but she calls it “the realm of God” perhaps because, like so many biblical terms, the old vernacular carries too much baggage. I imagine “kingdom” sounds too much like dominionism, and she also reclaims the word repentance. To Jennifer, it’s simply a changing of the mind, a newly informed world view that is often a complete 180 from previous assumptions. It represents being teachable, staying in the room with difference, and actually listening and learning new perspectives. 

Jennifer is a Christian reforming from within. Something I was not able to do. I have a special appreciation for those who are helping the church regain relevance and Jennifer is one of those. She holds on to a lot of scriptures, but especially the radical Jesus. Unfortunately I didn’t get to the more dogmatic questions as to where she stands on some doctrinal issues

This conversation was taped on June 27th, the day of after the SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality. Bob was out of town at the time so I invited my friend Chrissy Miller to co-host with me.

Credits:

"Towering Mountain of Ignorance" intro by Hank Green https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3v3S82TuxU

Intro bumper "Never Know" by Jack Johnson

All other music written and performed by Cass Midgley