Adventist Voices by Spectrum: The Journal of the Adventist Forum

Guest Matthew Korpman talks with hosts Nathan Brown and Claudia Allen about his chapter in A House on Fire, “Preaching a Black Christ: Doing Black theology with Ellen White.” 

Korpman has a Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R. in Second Temple Judaism) at Yale Divinity School and is an adjunct professor of religion at La Sierra University. He is working on a PhD program (focused in New Testament) at the University of Birmingham. 

A graduate of La Sierra University, Matthew E. Burdette is a theologian and an editor at Convergent Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. He holds a PhD in theology from the University of Aberdeen, having researched the theology of Robert W. Jenson and James H. Cone. He talks with book editors Maury Jackson and Nathan Brown about his contribution to the book. 

In a collaboration with Spectrum and Adventist Peace Radio, Maury Jackson, DMin, Nathan Brown, and Lisa Clark Diller, PhD, launch a new series about Adventists and racism based on the book, A House on Fire: How Adventist Faith Responds to Race and Racism.

Maury Jackson and Nathan Brown edited the book, which brings together a number of writers to analyze these critical themes.

We are also excited to be distributing the series with Adventist Peace Radio which is doing the production work.

I talk with Academy Award nominated filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi about his new documentary on Pope Francis. It chronicles the first decade of the pontiff's travels in 53 countries as he represents his values on issues such as poverty, migration, environment, solidarity, and war. We discuss the definition of the contemporary prophetic voice and how the film explores how words and physicality convey spiritual power. 

Concluding a 5-part series with Don Casebolt on his book Father Miller's Daughter, we discuss Ellen White's statements about the papacy and Casebolt presents evidence for White's dependence on discredited historians for her statements that the Pope changed the Christian day of worship to Sunday. Casebolt also critiques Samuel Bacchiocchi's contributions to this belief. We conclude by exploring White's idea that masturbation (solitary vice) caused tuberculosis among many ills and was directly responsible for "killing tens of thousands" a year. 

Alex Aamodt shares insights from his week of watching the National Labor Relations Board hearing on the unionization efforts at Loma Linda University Health. He talks about the role played by representatives from the General Conference (David Trim and Bill Knott) who were sworn in to explain institutional structure and Adventist policy on unions rooted in Ellen White's writings. Drawing on the proceedings and his legal and historical research, Aamodt also details key definitions (students or employees), explains the difference between LLUH and LLUHEC, and provides perspectives from both sides: the physician residents/fellows and the arguments made by the lawyers representing LLUH. 

Don McAdams, PhD, discusses his legendary embargoed paper documenting Ellen White’s literary and narrative dependence on Protestant historians. After 50 years it has been published as part of a book titled Ellen White and the Historians: A Neglected Problem and a Forgotten Answer (2022). McAdams discusses how he discovered this issue in the 1970s, how the Ellen White Estate reacted, and why it is finally time for the Adventist Church to openly confront its “founding myth—not the inspiration of Ellen White, but her authority in all matters.”

Japanese American writer, poet, culture critique, David Mura discusses his new book The Stories Whiteness Tell Itself, published by University of Minnesota Press, 2023. Mura grounds his work in historical and fictional narratives that whiteness tells society in order to uphold systems of Black oppression. We discuss his own family history of internment during WWII, James Baldwin, spirituality, as well as how the stages of grief connect to anti-racist awareness.

Paul Mugane grew up in Kenya in a family that valued independent thought and Adventist faith. In Minnesota he received his MDiv from an ecumenical seminary and spent time teaching and pastoring in Adventism. Now he is an award-winning chaplain for Sharp Grossmont Hospital in Southern California. In this first of two conversations we explore his political and spiritual heritage and why he calls Adventism a mother.

I talk with the editors of A House on Fire: How Adventist Faith Responds to Race and Racism. Signs Publishing book editor Nathan Brown and La Sierra University professor Maury D. Jackson share how this multi-scholar project was started and why this is a comprehensive Adventist approach to one of the most persistently intractable issues of our time.

Filmmakers Trevor Frost and Melissa Lesh talk about their documentary Wildcat, streaming now on Amazon. We discuss their beautiful film, set in the rainforest of Peru and featuring a lot of very cute baby ocelot footage. The story focuses on two real young people and the mental and spiritual healing that re-creation provides. One is a troubled British veteran, suffering from PTSD acquired during his tour in Afghanistan. The other is an American female PhD student researching in the jungle and dealing with her history with complicated men.

Along with faculty sponsor Bryan Ness, PhD, four Pacific Union College students of GASP (Gay and Straight People) discuss what recently happened on campus that created a lot of pain. They also share stories of coming out and explain why a welcoming campus witness can be a great Adventist recruiting tool.

Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle and myself, Kendra Arsenault, discuss on a recent panel hosted by SDA Kinship the role of Spiritual Care amid a mental health crisis. As a Spiritual Care Provider for the psychiatric unit, Chaplain Del Valle works with a team of care providers and specializes in a particular set of interventions to de-escalate and establish a grounded connection. As one of our listeners asked, how do you continue to care for your mental and spiritual health when you’re doubting your faith? What happens when your deconstruction journey takes you down the road of isolation, and you’re looking for ways to connect with self, community, and God once again? Today’s sponsors are Spectrum magazine @spectrummagazine.org and SDA kinship international @sdakinship.org.

Gretchen Van Ness, Civil Rights Attorney and Executive Director at LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., discusses how the LGBTQ affordable senior housing project took flight and why LGBTQ seniors are a particularly vulnerable population. The Pryde LGBTQ, affordable Senior housing project, is a model for how to support the marginalized, provide justice for the outcast, and begin the work of healing past traumas. You can find out more at LGBTQSeniorHousing.org. Today’s sponsors, Spectrum magazine and SDA kinship international can be found at spectrummagazine.org and sdakinship.org. 

This week we are making space to hear Nathon Hilton’s story of being disfellowshipped at his church due to the affirmation of himself and other gay Christians. We also discuss his work in which he looks at the Androgyny of Christ in Scripture, along with other ways that marginalized identities throughout history have made space for their existence by finding their own stories in the narrative of the Bible. Nathon holds a Master of Arts in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory from the University of Salamanca in Spain, in addition to a BA in English and Theology from Andrews University. He is currently translating Alicia Johnston’s book “The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists" into Spanish and focusing his studies on the philosophical and theoretical intersections of literature, religion, and spirituality. I first met Nathon a few years ago back at Andrews, and I am excited to have him share his personal journey of faith through the LGBTQ lens as well as some of his contributions to the world of queer theology. I’m your host, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. And our sponsors for today’s episode are Spectrum Magazine @spectrummagazine.org and SDA Kinship International @sdakinship.org.

This week on Imago Gei, we are talking about the importance of the "box," as well as the dangers of deconstruction, especially when done in isolation.  Imago Gei is a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of BIPOC and LGBTQ lives matter. I’m your host Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. We will also be discussing some never before heard pieces of Ms. Arsenault’s journey to affirming as well as nuggets of our own deconstructive journey, the benefits as well as the perils. So stay tuned because this is an episode you do not want to miss! We want to shout out to our sponsors for today, Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship. This month Kinship has an incredible lineup of educational panels and opportunities for connection, so if you would like to be a member or are just curious about finding more ways to connect with the LGBTQ community, please check them out at SDAKinship.org. As always, Spectrum Magazine has some of the latest and greatest articles about what is happening in the academic world, so to keep up with some contemporary happenings, please sign up at Spectrum Magazine.org.

On Imago Gei Halloween Special we discuss superstition and the ways it shows up in our spirituality. How do we integrate our encounters with coincidence, intuition, and bad energy with our rational minds, and do we even need to?  Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. is our co-host, along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. In this episode, we continue our Redefine series creating bigger boxes for a bigger God. Today we explore the Salem Witch trials, the superstitious mind, and the bordering lines between spirituality and psychosis. And we end with how connection with Self, God, and Community, are helpful bridges to cross the chasm of belief and how compassion is the tie to what makes us truly human.

This Halloween, we’re talking about spooky encounters and experiences that could be classified as supernatural. How do we determine what’s real, what’s not, and what might be a mental health condition? Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. is our co-host, along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. In this episode, we are continuing our Redefine series, creating bigger boxes for a bigger God. Today we’re discussing the role of chaplains amid a mental health crisis and ways we can feel more empowered when confronting eerie encounters and things that go bump in the night.

In our third conversation on the three main figures in Gil Valentine's Ostriches and Canaries: Coping with Change in Adventist 1966-1979, we focus on Siegfried H. Horn, influential archaeologist and scripture scholar who taught at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary from 1951-1976. In this conversation Valentine shares about how he obtained Horn's diary, the role it plays in the book, and what it reveals about the tensions between occupation preservation and commitment to truth. We also draw some conclusions about how the themes of the book intersect with today's tensions between clerical administration and academic inquiry.

Today we’re tackling the pinnacle of faith and what it all relies on, and that is the belief in God or the belief that there is something out there bigger than ourselves. Sometimes the wounds we receive in communal spaces are so big and so traumatic that we need alternative routes for connecting with God. Picking up the Bible and attending exclusive gatherings like non-affirming churches can often be more triggering for those in the LGBTQ community because of the rejection we have experienced at the hands of religion. Finding alternative routes to God, spirituality, and a personal derivation of meaning and community might mean you blaze a trail off the beaten path. Ultimately, our goal is to give each other space to encounter the Divine at our own pace. Sometimes that might look like deriving meaning from cosmic coincidences or feeling connected to something bigger than ourselves while driving through the vast landscapes of an Arizona desert. Other times, it's simply gathering gems, meaningful pieces of insight, and treasure that we can pass on to a new generation to build a bigger box for a bigger God to dwell in. 

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of BIPoC and LGBTQ lives matter. This week Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. is our co-host, along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. In this episode, we are continuing our Redefine series creating bigger boxes for a bigger God.

Happy National Hispanic Heritage month, everyone! There is so much to learn from indigenous cultures of the past and present and the ways we can validate a spirituality that is native to ourselves. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine.org and SDA Kinship.org, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for their newsletters, where you will get the latest updates on queer news and happenings or follow them on Instagram @adventistforum and @sdakinship!

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei because the equality and dignity of BIPOC and LGBTQ lives matter. This week Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. is our co-host, along with yours truly, Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. In this episode, we are continuing our Redefine series creating "bigger boxes for a bigger God. "A pillar of faith that could use some remodeling is the topic of Salvation. Today we are exploring the relational dynamic that we have with this concept, not to contend with anyone’s personal relationship with God. Rather we discuss how easy it is to transfer this Savior relationship to the relationships around us and how the pursuit of savior figures can keep us from important stages in adult development. We also discuss the importance of knowing when to ask for help. Sometimes a problem can be too big for one person to solve. We also challenge ourselves to know when to venture into the impossible and how to think responsibly about our futures.

Happy National Hispanic Heritage month, everyone! There is so much to learn from indigenous cultures of the past and present and how we can validate a spirituality native to ourselves. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship international, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for their newsletters at spectrummagazine.org and sdakinship.org, where you will get the latest updates on queer news and happenings.

Ernesto Herrera, a music student at La Sierra University, talks about how he went from creating music in Cuba to the USA. We discuss how his Adventist faith, cultural heritage, and interest in mixing the sacred and secular inspires his art. In this special podcast, we also mix in several of his compositions, sung by the Brigham Young University singers.

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of LGBTQ lives matter. This week  co-host Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with your host Kendra Arsenault, M.Div discuss the ways we can improve relationships and find community through shared values. Spiritual Care Provider Del Valle explores her spiritual evolution through the work of chaplaincy along with a few intriguing stories on how chaplaincy has forced her to bridge divides through common connections. We also continue our celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, exploring insights from Kat Armas' book Abuelita Faith. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship international, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for their newsletters, where you will get the latest updates on queer news and happenings.

In the second of a three-part series, historian Gil Valentine focuses his analysis on the main characters in his book, Ostriches and Canaries: Coping with Change in Adventism, 1966-1979, (Oak & Acorn), 2022. For this conversation, Valentine explores the motivations and methods of Richard Hammill, President of Andrews University. We explore the difficulties he tried to navigate church administrator concerns about the scholarly work and beliefs of faculty.

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of LGBTQ lives matter. This week we have Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with your host Kendra Arsenault, M.Div both discussing the first topic in the Redefine series, where we look at finding bigger boxes for a bigger God. This week we are addressing fundamental belief number one: the Bible is a sacred text. In the spirit of finding community through common values, we’re tackling one of the first central tenets of Christian beliefs, including SDAs, to see if we can turn this belief into a value that can be shared by both Christians and non-Christians alike. In addition to this, we are celebrating  National Hispanic Heritage month and beginning our podcast discussing our experience as Latinx LGBTQ persons of faith. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship international, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for their newsletters, where you will get the latest updates on queer news and happenings. 

Welcome back to Imago Gei a play on the term Imago Dei because the dignity and equality of LGBTQ lives matter. This week on Imago Gei Kendra Arsenault, M.Div. and Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. host the episode Bigger Boxes, Bigger God, where we discuss the limitations of belief to bind us as communities and instead learn how we can begin to find common ground in common values. Further still, we ask how can we begin to find a resolution between our beliefs and our bodies. What do we do with cognitive dissonance, and how cognitive dissonance shows up in our spiritual practices?

In the first of a three-part series, historian Gil Valentine focuses his analysis on the main characters in Ostriches and Canaries: Coping with Change in Adventism, 1966-1979, Oak & Acorn, 2022. For this conversation, Valentine explores the motivations and methods of Robert Pierson, General Conference President from 1966-1979.

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity of LGBTQ lives matter. On this episode of Imago Gei we have Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle, M.Div. along with your host Kendra Arsenault, M.Div discussing the book "Repotting Your Life" by Frances Edmonds and asking the question, What is Enough? We also observe the parallels in our own personal journeys of what it has meant to restart life as open, same-gender loving women, and the obstacles that arise when a person makes a fresh start. How do we begin to redefine joy? God? Faith? Salvation? And Friendship? What pots are you bursting out of and in what areas do you need to be replanted. This week is an introduction to our new series called "Redefine" where we find bigger pots to plant a more inclusive God. Our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship international, so if you haven’t already, please sign for their newsletters where you will get the latest updates on LGBTQ news and happenings.

Juan Perla, MPA, JD, talks about the U. S. Supreme Court amicus brief we submitted last week. A graduate of Andrews University, USC, and the University of California, Berkeley and now a partner at the Curtis law firm, Perla discusses the arguments the brief makes on behalf of minority rights—particularly Seventh-day Adventists and LGBTQ folks who value marriage. The case in question is 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis and concerns the free speech clause of the First Amendment and religiously motivated discrimination.

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, because equality and dignity are what we impart when I see the image of God in each other. This week, host Kendra Arsenault continues her conversation with Pastor Alicia Johnston, the author of her new book, "The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists,"where she addresses queer theology and answers a number of questions about the Bible and what it has to say regarding LGBTQ persons, relationships, origins, and marriage. We are picking up our conversation around how institutions often create standards that are difficult for marginalized communities to obtain to and what a more inclusive community of faith can look like. If you’d like an opportunity to win a free copy of Pastor Alicia Johnston’s new book listen to the end and find out how you can win your free copy today!

In light of the allegations surrounding Weimar, I interview Sarah McDugal, an Adventist author of several books on abuse including Myths We Believe: Predators We Trust. Sarah is the co-founder of Wilderness to WILD. After 25 years in media production, a series of life experiences led her to pivot into full-time advocacy and resource development for women escaping abuse.

Welcome back to Imago Gei, a podcast dedicated to the value of Imago Dei, meaning we are all deserving of dignity because we are all made in the image of God. This week I am excited to be sharing this platform with Pastor Alicia Johnston, the author of the new book, The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists, where she addresses queer theology and answers a number of questions about the Bible and what it has to say regarding LGBTQ persons, relationships, origins, and marriage. If you’d like an opportunity to win a free copy of Pastor Alicia Johnston’s new book "The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists" listen to the end and find out how you can win your free copy today!

Josh Jamieson and David Ryan Olson talk with me about their brand new music release, “Here to Stay.” Josh is Pastor of Modern Worship on Loma Linda University Church’s Anthem, a worship collective that meets on Sabbath morning on the campus. David is Producer and Mix Engineer for Evergreen Records.

We discuss what makes for good praise music, the state of Adventist music “wars,” and what motivates both of them in their ministries.

Today I’m tackling a controversial question. However, it’s not so much an answer that we’re going to arrive at, but a journey we’re going to go on. Was EGW an LGBTQ? Now for those of you listening who are not familiar with Adventist history, I apologize. She was a historical figure in the founding of the Adventist church. I’m not unaware of how negatively and even unfavorably just asking this question might be received. But I really believe it’s important to ask questions, even the questions you think you shouldn’t ask. I recently gave this presentation at the Kinship Kampmeeting, and it all started when I Googled a single question, as I often do, “Was Ellen White an LGBTQ?”  For those who may be wary that I’m even asking the question, let me assure you, the results are inconclusive. Culture and language, and expressions of self-identity have drastically changed since the 1840s. So we have to do a bit of time traveling to explore 19th-century same-gendered relationships. While there are no hard claims made at anything, I do investigate a series of private letters that reveal a not-so-public truth. So if you’re interested in going on a journey, buckle up because it’s a wild ride.

I talk with Chigemezi Wogu, PhD, who recently defended his dissertation on intercultural theology from the Free University Amsterdam. A graduate of Babcock University in Nigeria, Chigemezi discusses the tensions between “pristine” Nigerian Adventism and more recent spirited Pentecostal approaches to Christianity.

An ethnographer and pastor by training, Chigemezi also discusses the role of empathy in academia and in his work in Berlin, Germany, serving two congregations, one multicultural and the other German-speaking.

This month we are continuing the celebrations of Pride Month, as we uplift LGBTQ stories. Today, I, Kendra Arsenault, engage with Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle to discuss the impact of the overturn of Roe v. Wade on us women along with the impacts this decision has on trans and non-binary lives. We also discuss how this decision is relevant to queer history. This weekend, I am sharing a presentation on same-gender lesbian relationships in the 1800s and discovering how much society has changed as well as how much it hasn’t.

Hello friends, welcome back to Imago Gei, a play on the term Imago Dei, which means in the image of God because as humans, we are all entitled to dignity and kindness. This week, I am interviewing Jay Wintermeyer, a former NAD administrator who was outed by an anonymous letter and then forced to resign. We discuss the ways these types of behaviors affect the LGBTQ community as well as better ways to be an ally. 

For those listening, I’m your host Kendra Arsenault and our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship International, so make sure you sign up for their newsletters where you will get the latest on queer news and happenings.

This week on Imago Gei (a play on the term Imago Dei), we end pride month with a heavy heart, discussing the impact of Roe v. Wade upon our lives along with some recent events in which Spectrum Magazine was uninvited to a pastoral convention because of their brave work associated with empowering LGBTQ people and voices. This week, I have Chaplain and Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle along with myself, Kendra Arsenault and our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship International, so make sure you sign up for their newsletters where you will get the latest on queer news and happenings.

Happy Pride month everyone, today, I have Chaplain and Spiritual Care Provider Roxan Del Valle. In honor of pride month, I want to talk about what is family. There is often controversy when it comes to LGBTQ marriage and family, and what makes a happy home. Are children worse off if they have two gay parents? Or is there something to be celebrated about LGBTQ love and growing up in queer households?

Shawn Brace, a pastor in Maine, talks about his new book, The Table I Long For (Signs Publishing) in which he tells about changing himself and his church. Brace tells about the moment gathering in a home when he asked, “Why does church have to be more than this?” We discuss drive-by evangelism, pseudo-community, and why it isn’t enough to be “not racist.”

From St. Louis, MO, Spectrum’s managing digital editor Alex Aamodt and I talk about the General Conference Session. We discuss the election of Ted Wilson to his third term, some of the motions that have passed, and the ways that women’s ordination keeps showing up. We also share our thoughts on the general vibe here and how anti-vax Adventists are trying to throw a wrench in the proceedings.

Happy Pride month everyone, today on Imago Gei, I have a special interview with the president of SDA Kinship International, Floyd Poenitz. In honor of pride month, I want to highlight Kinship, the people behind it, and the effort they have dedicated to creating safe spaces for LGBTQ Adventists. In this interview, we discuss the journey of self-acceptance and the often winding and difficult decisions we make along the road to loving ourselves.

As you listen, I hope you enjoy this story of someone who has long been in the struggle for equity and witnessed steady progress towards equality and inclusion in society while continuing to work patiently with churches to envision a safer and more diverse environment.

For those listening, I’m your host Kendra Arsenault and our sponsors for today are Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship International, so make sure you sign up for their newsletters where you will get the latest on queer news and happenings.

What do Adventists from South Africa, China, Brazil, and the US have in common? And what do they think needs to change in the church? This four person  chat explores these questions in the first of a new series on Global Adventist Conversations focused on the 2022 General Conference session.

Bonnie Dwyer, editor emerita of Spectrum, talks about why the 2022 GC session is important, how leaders are elected, and what changes to policy will have her attention.

We discuss if it’s time for Ted Wilson to go, what qualities the church needs in its leaders, and the wording and purpose of the changes around auditing church membership. We also discuss Bonnie’s recent trip to Spain and her takeaways from walking the Camino de Santiago spiritual pilgrimage route.

This week on Imago Gei Kendra Arsenault talks with author Kellie Woolf about her upcoming book, "Mount Hope" which is a fictional story about a community rocked by a violent outburst against a gay member of its community. It explores issues related to LGBTQIA inclusion and religious trauma while challenging readers to envision a greater future of what a diverse and inclusive church could look like.

Austin Loignon, PhD, talks about his dissertation research on John Harvey Kellogg’s European influences in health and spirituality. Loignon argues that Kellogg was influenced by Catholic Late Scholasticism revival of Thomas Aquinas' theology.

A graduate of Southwestern Adventist University, Austin Loignon is an adjunct professor of History
University of Texas at Arlington.

In this episode of Imago Gei, we discuss healing from religious trauma with Dr. Dee Knight, a clinical psychologist. The road to healing is a journey we are all invited to take and none of us have to take it alone.

Historian Michael W. Campbell talks about his new book, 1922: The Rise of Adventist Fundamentalism. We discuss GC leadership, Ellen White, creationism, and the continuing problems around Hermeneutics.

Dr. Campbell is the newly appointed director of archives, statistics, and research for the North American Division. Previously serving as pastor and educator, Campbell recently was a professor of religion at Southwestern Adventist University.

My relationship with God and my relationship with the Church has often been a very different relationship. In part two of "Journey to Affirming Theology," I discuss particular junctures at which my experience and my beliefs were incongruent, and what happens at the crossroads. As someone who has grown up with an understanding of the church as a vehicle for humanitarian efforts--feeding the homeless, healing the sick, and helping the vulnerable among us--the gospel and social justice have often been inextricably linked.  But what happens when the questions of ethics are at crossroads with institutional idealisms? How can we begin to allow the questions of ethics to inform how we practice a faith that performs practical good in the world?

A pastor for 43 years, Will James, now retired from leading the Paradise Valley Adventist Church, talks about his continuing work engaging his local community. 

Assimilating refugees, delivering food, caring for a community garden, Pastor James discusses Friendships for Hope, his history and his continuing work for toward a multifaceted ministry to the large refugee and low income communities of San Diego, CA. 

On this LGBTQ Podcast, Dr. Melodie Roschman discusses her dissertation, "Identity, Counternarrative, and Community in Progressive Christian Women's Memoir," with Kendra Arsenault on this episode of Imago Gei, affirming Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer identities in religious spaces. When we think about testimony in Scripture, eye-witness accounts, what a person heard or saw, life stories like Ruth and Esther, the testimony of John in Revelation, or the visions of Isaiah and Daniel, personal experience with the world and with God matter. So what is the place of personal story and memoir when building a reflective theology? How do we include the proverbial Yelp Review of certain Christian disciplines or traditions and use it to inform our present beliefs and practices? What’s the role of feedback and should it be taken into consideration when building a belief about God?

Darriel Hoy, who earned a BA in Public Policy from Duke University and an MDiv from Andrews University shares her vision for community engagement in Adventism.

An ordained minister with 18 years of church ministry service, Darriel is the Communications Director for the Office of Regional Ministries and the Regional Conference Retirement Plan.

The journey to becoming LGBTQ affirming in a religious setting or church environment is dependent on more than simple Bible knowledge or good exegesis. LGBTQ affirming is a position people come to based on a theology that takes holistic consideration of what is ethical, good, and just. At a minimum, LGBTQ affirming is to exercise the reflexive practice of asking how a particular theological construct advantages or disadvantages people, especially marginalized people. The experiences for queer, trans, gay, and lesbian members under the religious constructs of the church are the nerve endings that, in a healthy body, signal to the brain vital feedback necessary to keep the body from harm.

Continuing our series on community engagement, I talk with Ronald D. Williams, Jr., D.Min., pastor of the Macedonia Adventist church, Delaware Valley Area Leader of the Allegheny East Conference, and Program Director of the Chester Peace Initiative.

An urbanologist, we discuss his undergrad and graduate level education in information systems, his first career in IT, and how he turned that previous work into a program to teach youth tech job skills. We also discuss his time in the Nation of Islam and how he leads in the Adventist church today.

Professor Matthew Korpman and Kendra Arsenault finish out this queer theology series on Imago Gay by discussing the absence of women in the Levitical laws against homosexuality, the broad category of sexually divergent people that Eunuchs encompass and a more inclusive theology that holds an all-embracing view of LGBTQ people in the history of faith. "I am so sick and tired of people saying that Leviticus 18 and 22 or 20:13 have to do with homosexuality because homosexuality has a definition. It is a sexual orientation that has to involve both sexes, and it has to involve much more than sex, a whole orientation, a whole sensibility. You can be homosexual and never actually have sex."

Concluding our tripartite conversation through Dr. Richard Rice’s intellectual and publishing history, in this third episode we discuss his 2014 book Suffering and the Search for Meaning (InterVarsity Press Academic). Perhaps his most widely read work, in discussing it Rice shares brief summaries of the major contemporary theological and philosophical responses to the problem of pain. We also reflect on his life and what’s next for one of progressive Adventism’s most prolific living scholars.

On this episode of Imago Gei, Randi Robertson discusses her journey as a trans woman married to her college sweetheart and working as an Air Force pilot for 22 years as well as an instructor for a Christian university. As we end Women's Month, we are going out with thoughtful consideration over gender and the implications of being a woman or trans woman both in the church and in society.

New Upper Columbia Conference President David Jamieson shares the vision for community engagement drives his ministry.

He talks about his twenty years leading the Church in the Valley’s growth through a wide range of services opportunities for members called Acts of Kindness.

"What do I do with the mad that I feel when I feel so mad I could bite!" Mr. Rogers shared this piece of therapeutic children's music at Congress back in 1969. Today, we are still learning how to manage emotions, especially regarding the church and LGBTQ matters. So why are we all so TRIGGERED? Spiritual Care Provider Roxan and Kendra Arsenault M.Div. dive into the world of feelings, theology, and LGBTQ identities to explore what about gayness makes us so mad, scared, and grieved. We also discuss how we can all do a little better at honoring our feelings. Word of the week is Spiritual Bypassing. How have our favorite religious shortcuts, "God is good," "God would never give me more than I can handle," "In this life, we are meant to suffer to receive a heavenly reward," turned into a way of circumventing the difficult task of dealing with our humanity? Turns out, we might not be that spiritual, after all. Pastoral care for LGBTQ church members is essential. So this week, we provide practical training for pastors, elders, and spiritual leaders to help them understand and better care for the LGBTQ community. 

We discuss her early work as a nurse, her career as a professor in the School of Allied Health Professions, her love for the arts, and the pedagogical approaches she wrote about in her book, Hitting Pause: 65 Lecture Breaks to Refresh and Reinforce Learning.

In 1987 the Seventh-day Adventist church sued SDA Kinship International claiming trademark infringement for using the name "SDA". The lawsuit has had ripple effects throughout the LGBTQ community and their continued relationship with the church. After participating in a grueling trial, many left the institution  never to return. Others saw this victory as a landmark that one's religious identity does not exist with the institution, but with people. On this episode I talk with Floyd Poenitz, president of SDA Kinship International regarding the history of SDA Kinship and what more we still have to learn from affirming LGBTQ lives. 

Was David bisexual? Is Sodom and Gomorrah really a reference to homosexuality or something else? On this episode of Imago Gei, Kendra Arsenault talks with Matthew Korpman about his book Saying No to God and the insights he shares in his chapter "Saying No to Homophobia." There has often been controversy in the Christian community regarding whether or not Jonathan and David shared more than a strictly platonic relationship. So what would it mean if David really was bisexual? Would that change our perception of this Biblical icon? We also discuss the often referred to example of Sodom and Gomorrah, which has often is a story often leveraged against the LGBTQ community. So is Sodom and Gomorrah really a cautionary tale towards the LGBTQ community or is there another possible reading of the text? 

Pastor Alex Golovenko was born in Ukraine and leads the Windsor Seventh-day Adventist church in Canada. He shares how the Russian invasion is affecting his own family and the larger Ukrainian Adventist community. He discusses the violence, the parameters of a just response, and offers some hope via his favorite scripture.

Civil rights attorney Amanda Ghannam and Kendra Arsenault discuss why LGBTQ Discrimination at religious institutions is legal unfortunately. Prosecution of LGBTQ discrimination cases in religious settings is so difficult due to First Amendment complications. So what is the history of LGBTQ legislation and what is the possibility for legislative change in the future?

Troubled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Charles Scriven and Ron Osborn discuss violence, moral deflation, and the responsibility to protect.

Both have published books exploring versions of Christian pacifism, Scriven’s The Promise of Peace, and Osborn’s Anarchy and Apocalypse. In this discussion they revisit their earlier work in light of the Ukrainian tragedy and explore despair and hope while addressing the question: how should one individually and collectively act?

Imago Gei is an affirmation of dignity for LGBTQ members, a declaration that we too are imago dei, or made in the image of God. On this episode, Kendra Arsenault interviews Matthew Korpman who is critical of the church's relationship towards LGBTQ members and makes a Biblical argument against prejudice. Discussing his book, "Saying No To God", this episode is focused on his chapter "Saying No To Homophobia." The theological emphasis of this week's episode brings insights into queer theology and builds a framework for discussing LGBTQ lives with a dignified theological perspective.

Here is part 2 of our series exploring Dr. Richard Rice’s books and biography. In this Dr. Rice talks about how he came to write Adventism’s first serious theology textbook, The Reign of God (1985), the airplane ride the prompted Reason and the Contours of Faith (1991), and students and rabbi who influenced Believing, Behaving, Belonging (2002).

This week on Imago Gei, Kendra Arsenault interviews Ari Bates, a transgender woman currently studying and employed at Southern Adventist University. After publicly coming out as transgender, she was made aware of a new policy that will be implemented on Southern's campus requiring transgender students to dress according to their gender assigned at birth. After coming out, she was placed on administrative leave. So today, we hear her story and her experience as a transgender woman, daughter and student. 

On this episode of Imago Gei, a multitude of LGBTQ voices share their stories of struggle, triumph and faith, along with their complicated relationship with the church. Understanding queer theology is more than just closing the loops in logic, it is being responsible for the impact of our theology upon LGBTQ lives. Living in the fullness of love, joy and peace starts with listening

In this first conversation in a multi-part series, I interview Richard Rice, PhD, about his biography and extensive bibliography. We discuss Dr. Rice’s early life, what he learned in graduate school at the University of Chicago, and the early 1980s controversy around the publication of “The Openness of God.”

Kendra Arsenault, Spectrum Magazine and SDA Kinship have come together to bring you the premiere episode of Imago Gei where we share the latest on queer theology, stories, and a minority perspective on faith. Today, we are easing ourselves in the conversation by posing the question: Is It Safe? LGBTQ church members are often faced with the challenging question: do I disclose my queer identity in a hostile environment or do I stay closeted until a later day when/if I feel safe? Safe spaces, safe churches, and safe people are the focus of today's topic as we learn what it means to approach difficult topics with self-energy and learn the effects of hostile church environments on the mental health of queer members.

This two-minute clip provides an introduction for a new podcast partnership between Spectrum and SDA Kinship, produced by Kendra Arseneaux. The first episode drops soon.

I talk with Agnes and Carine, two media-savvy Brazilians who served a missionaries in Bangladesh and now spend time learning and traveling in America. We discuss how they met, the role of Pathfinders in Brazilian Adventism and the ways that globalization is changing the meaning of community.

I talk with Ramona Hyman, co-editor of the new book, African American Seventh-day Adventist Healers in a Multicultural Nation (Pacific Press, 2021). A writer, speaker and professor at Oakwood University, Dr. Hyman is a graduate of Temple University (BA), Andrews University (MA), and earned her PhD from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.

To kick off the new year I talk with Alex Aamodt, editor of the Spectrum website, about the top Adventist news stories and essays of 2021. We also discuss how he became a journalist and what makes for a good Spectrum article submission.

I talk with English writer and director Garth Jennings about his new family-friendly film Sing 2 currently in theaters. The films stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Pharrell Williams, and Bono among many others.

We discuss creativity, music and nostalgia, spirituality and the importance of myth-making in our lives.

I talk music and the Advent season with Adriana Perera, Director of Worship and the Musical Arts at Loma Linda University Church. We discuss what makes Christmas music meaningful and Adriana shares her passion for diversity and inclusion.

Jason Hines, PhD, asst. professor at AdventHealth University, talks about the recent pause of vaccine mandates by some healthcare institutions, including AdventHealth. We also discuss the Supreme Court, religious liberty, and the Christian concept of sacrifice.

This week I interview Phanuel Hamsini, Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Malawi. We discuss how he became an Adventist, his vibrant local Adventist congregation, and why he reads Spectrum even though he sometimes doesn’t agree with the viewpoints.

Fresh from attending the Adventist Society for Religious Studies annual meetings in San Antonio, Texas, Bonnie Dwyer and I discuss the major ideas that emerged around this year’s focus on ecology.

We talk animal rights, pandemics and apocalypse, and the ways that artificial intelligence and social media algorithms conflict with human spirituality.

In this cursory conversation about the Biblical Research Institute’s recent publication of Biblical Hermeneutics: An Adventist Approach, I talk with Jon-Philippe Ruhumuliza, a graduate of Andrews University and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

Ruhumuliza, who recently completed his MA in New Testament, wrote his thesis on Paul and Maps: Exegeting Acts 13-14 through the Lens of Lived Space Cartography.

We discuss the problems with the book’s approach to hermeneutics drawing on Ruhumuliza’s interest in spatialized readings of Paul and other ways of constructing Adventist theology.

Put a log on the fire and sip a hot beverage as you listen to prolific writer Trudy Morgan-Cole discuss her novels about characters from the Bible and her more recent works of historical fiction set in Newfoundland, Canada. This week Spectrum Interviews Editor Alita Byrd joins me in conversation with Trudy Morgan-Cole as we explore the writing life, how Adventist stories change, and Morgan-Cole’s play, “The Mirror,” about a Newfoundland suffragette, that was performed recently.

Professor Emeritus of Biology at Andrews University, James L. Hayward, Ph.D, talks about his early life that mixed Sam Campbell, Ellen White, and tensions around creationism and science. In part one of our discussion of his book, Dinosaurs, Volcanoes, and Holy Writ: A Boy-Turned Scientist Journeys from Fundamentalism to Faith, we explore the personal and professional tensions that developed as he pursued his academic interests in biology while maintaining a connection to his faith tradition.

I talk with bioethicist Mark Carr about the social responsibility of vaccines, his spiritual connection to Alaska, and what it’s like working for a Catholic healthcare system as an Adventist.

Mark earned his PhD in Religious Ethics at the University of Virginia where studied ethics in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Philosophy, and Healthcare. His dissertation was on temperance and how it helps us manage our emotions when making difficult moral decisions. At Loma Linda University he gained the rank of Professor with tenure and directed the Masters Degree program in biomedical ethics as well as the Center for Christian Bioethics. In 2016 he returned to his native Alaska as the Regional Director of Ethics for Providence Health, a Catholic healthcare corporation. In his work for Providence he is responsible for clinical ethics for six hospitals where he focuses on ethics education, policy, and patient care consults.

This week I talk again with legendary Adventist editor, pastor, college administrator, author, and longtime Spectrum leader Charles Scriven. We explore the final essay from his series “Time to Start Over” on hermeneutics and community. In addition, we weave in conversations about his time as president of Kettering College and his longtime leadership of the Adventist Forum and Spectrum. He shares his vision for koinonia,  a Christocentric interpretive framework, and why fundamentalism corrupts Christianity.

From Silver Spring, Bonnie Dwyer, editor of Spectrum, and I recap the four days of Annual Council 2021, the General Conf. executive committee meetings.

We discuss various reports, the introduction of #Teds10 “theological issues facing the church,” and how we spent our Sabbath away from the GC and why it matters.

In preparation for next week’s Annual Council meetings which set up major Adventist church actions, Bonnie Dwyer, Spectrum’s editor, and I discuss the agenda.

We note questions of power and compliance as well as some pending items about board make-up and proscribed duties in overseeing higher educational institutions and Union Missions.

I interview Stephen Chbosky, director of the movie version of Dear Evan Hansen about his motivations for turning the successful Broadway hit into a musical film. He famously wrote the best-selling coming-of-age novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999). We also discuss the fraught relationship between adolescence and faith and what we both love about the musical genre.

I talk with Sduduzo Blose about his graduate work at the University of Kwazulu-Natal on the book of Romans, colonialism in Africa, and institutional power in Adventism.

We also discuss how opposing racism and sexism in Adventism informed his theological interests as well as how he connects his love for road cycling and ministry.

I interview Jon-Philippe Ruhumuliza about his social media-based “Radical Adventist Project.” We discuss his education in Berrien Springs, Mich., his later punk rock days, and his recent graduate work in New Testament studies at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

We talk about his practice of meditation and breath work, and his critical engagement of Paul through his research involving GIS mapping and social theory.

I speak with the legendary historian of Adventism, Jonathan Butler, PhD, about his rediscovery of an 1988 article by Malcolm Bull analyzing Ellen White’s first vision. Titled “Eschatology and Manners in Seventh-day Adventism” and first published in Archives de sciences socials des religions, Butler discusses the ideas provokes and the joy he discovered as he read it for the first time. The full article and an introductory essay by Dr. Butler are featured in the current issue of the Spectrum journal.

I speak with two young Adventist intellectuals in Brazil who publish an online magazine (Zelota) with investigative journalism and detail-rich op-eds calling out the authoritarian leadership in the South American Division.

Sharing their deep Adventist roots, André Kanasiro and Elias Batista, Jr., also discuss concerns for their generation of questioning Adventists, and why they work so hard for theological and institutional reform.

In this first of several Legend of Adventism conversations, I talk with Charles Scriven, PhD, about his biography while we also discuss his recent Spectrum series “Time to Start Over.”

We start this multi-part series exploring some teachers from Walla Walla and Andrews who influenced him theologically and grammatically. In addition, Chuck references Bonhoeffer’s journey while expanding on what he means by “Christ without Christ,” the hermeneutical tool of and against oppression, and why close community matters.

I interview Edson Oda, the Japanese-Brazilian writer and director of the profound film, Nine Days. The story centers on a man, played by Winston Duke (Black Panther), who interviews and judges five souls to see who will be granted embodied life on earth.

A fun conversationalist, Oda talks about his Catholic upbringing and how artists use spiritual metaphors to create meaning for humans. We also discuss what he likes to read and watch for inspiration and how his film uses empty spaces to open up interpretative possibilities.

Elder Gregory L. Hoenes, PhD, Director of the West Region of the Southern California Conference, talks about his recently completed dissertation in Practical Theology at Claremont School of Theology.

Focusing on food and ecological responsibilities, Dr. Hoenes talks about how his conservative upbringing shaped his relationship to nature, how pastoring and eating out in Southern California shaped his research and spiritual practices, and how the activism of woke young people give him hope.

Bonnie Dwyer, editor of Spectrum, shares key moments in her life that shaped her career as a journalist and leader in the Adventist community. Bonnie discusses her love for the local church, the key first decisions that created the iconic journal, and what she's learned from a career trusting in God and caring for community.

Abraham Joshua Heschel, Jewish rabbi and theologian, civil rights advocate, Holocaust survivor, and champion of interfaith dialogue, is the subject of a new documentary "Spiritual Audacity," produced and directed by Martin Doblmeier of Journey Films.

On Sabbath, May 1, Doblmeier discussed the making of the documentary during a special Adventist Forum/Spectrum webinar hosted by the St. Paul/Minneapolis Adventist Forum Chapter and the Minnetonka SDA Church.

Alexander Carpenter, host of the Adventist Voices podcast, interviewed Doblmeier and was joined by Loma Linda University theologian Richard Rice, St. Paul Forum Chapter President Gary Blount, and Spectrum editor Bonnie Dwyer.

Bonnie Dwyer, Spectrum's editor, and I interview Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tomm Moore, director of The Secret of the Kells (2009) about his new animated movie, Wolfwalkers available to watch via Apple TV. The story takes place in 1650 and follows a spirited Irish girl who fights the control of civilization and finds transformative friendship and spiritual power in the forest among a pack of wolves.

We discuss Irish mythology, the beauty of Tomm Moore's hand drawn animation style and how stories connect humans to deeper spiritual truths.

Richard Osborn, PhD, talks about his missionary upbringing, early connection to Spectrum, and how he got his start leading educational institutions. Dick, who recently retired as the Vice President of the WASC Senior College and University Commission and was the former president of Pacific Union College shares some lessons about what’s worked and what hasn’t in schools and Adventist life.

Dr. Osborn is Board Advisor/Member: Loma Linda University Health, Los Angeles Pacific University, Pacifica Graduate Institute, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, United States University, University of Silicon Andhra, Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), Charles Weniger Foundation, NAD Higher Ed Task Force

I interview a recent student of mine, Pacific Union College graduating senior Morgan Williamson on the state of Adventist education and the future of online learning. We discuss why Adventist and public education matters to her, how her student missionary teaching experience in Fiji influenced her career choice, as well as what she’s learned doing her student teaching online with elementary age students.

This week I talk with Kaleb Eisele, creator of Humans of Adventism, about his new ten-part documentary series in which Adventists tell their stories of culture, change, miracles, etc. We also discuss the state of creativity and community-building in the church.

I talk with my wife, Doris Tetz Carpenter, Adventist Health Human Performance Executive (Talent Strategy and Total Rewards), about the tension between the mission and business of faith-based health care. We also chat about how she moved from education to her seventeen-year career in Human Resources and how spending all day in online meetings at home has changed her ideas about work.

Spectrum’s editor Bonnie Dwyer and I celebrate 2021 by talking about what’s new and news in Adventism. We discuss the GC Session, the North American Division’s tithe story as well as trends in Zoom Sabbath Schools around the denomination. We express concern about the link between conspiracy theory religious thinking and insurrection and find hope in driving slower, upcoming Spectrum articles, and getting a vaccine to be a good neighbor.

Continuing our legends of Adventism series, Dr. Larry Geraty shares leadership insights into his decades leading institutions like Atlantic Union College and La Sierra University. Additionally he shares anecdotes about protecting freedom of expression on campuses and speaks personally about how he finds meaning in Adventism.

Dr. Larry Geraty shares key moments that shaped his life from his missionary upbringing, how he convinced his wife Gillian to marry him, as well as his relationship with Siegfried Horn and how he ended up studying at Harvard. In this first of a two part episode, Dr. Geraty tells the story of how Spectrum began in the 1960s.

Bonnie Dwyer, editor of Spectrum, talks about the latest issue of the journal, including the Black Lives Matter articles and the focus on science and art. In addition, she discusses the controversy surrounding Doug Batchelor's Amazing Facts walkback on accepting government money.

Director Kevin Miller talks about the new documentary, J.E.S.U.S.A., produced by Adventist Forum board member Ken Peterson, that explores the relationship between Christianity and American nationalism. Spoiler: maybe it’s the violence in the dominant theory of the atonement. An evangelical, Kevin also discusses his famous film Hellbound? (2012) and why theology matters. 

Ronald E. Osborn, Associate Professor of Ethics and Philosophy at La Sierra University, and host Alexander Carpenter discuss Albert Camus’ 1947 novel “The Plague.” Can the narrative parallels and its philosophical perspective provide insight into our current coronaviral reality? Join us as we all try to survive #AloneTogether. 

A figure in Adventist social media for over a decade, The Adventist Caricaturist reveals a little about his denominational past, laugh about Headship Bobbleheads and #GossipJuice, as well as reflect on the role of satire in the Adventist community. To protect the caricaturist's identity, we used a voice-masking app so apologies for any oddities with the audio. 

In this week’s Adventist Voices conversation, Alexander Carpenter talks with newly elected Adventist Forum (publisher of Spectrum) board chair Carmen Lau. After being a stay-at-home mom for twenty-five years, she will graduate this week with a Master of Arts in the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights. She relishes traveling with her husband, Yung, particularly when it involves seeing their three children who are scattered across the United States. She is a reader and podcast connoisseur who enjoys being in nature in the company of her two dogs. We discuss how she first read Spectrum at Southern, her recent trip to research the Rwandan genocide, and her vision for the future of Adventism.

 Our goal is to foster community through conversation. This podcast is a companion to Spectrum, a journal established to encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation in the discussion of contemporary issues from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the merits of diverse views, and to foster intellectual and cultural growth. For more, go to: https://spectrummagazine.org/