Rowena Chiu

Content warning: This episode contains sensitive content about sexual assault. Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was recently sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison on top of his current sentence of 23 years for sexual assault. In this bonus episode of The Disrupters, Nancy Wang Yuen speaks with Weinstein’s former assistant, advocate, and activist Rowena Chiu. She left the film industry after being victimized by Weinstein in 1998.The 2022 film She Said tells the story of the New York Times investigation that led to Weinstein’s history of abuse and misconduct against women; Chiu is portrayed by actor Angela Yeoh in the film. For Rowena, watching her own story play out in a film evoked complicated feelings: “It is absolutely true that I'm super proud of it, and I think it's a major achievement. It is also an incredibly difficult movie for the individual survivor to watch,” says Chiu. “It's going to be difficult for me not to feel that the story is out of my control.” In this episode, Nancy talks to Rowena about how she copes with that tension, how being a Christian has made it difficult for survivors of sexual misconduct to receive support from the church, and how she has learned to tell a deeply difficult story with courage and clarity.To learn more about how issues of sexual misconduct and abuse affect faith communities, check out The #MeToo Reckoning by pastor and survivor Ruth Everhart. Use the code DISRUPT at ivpress.com for 30% off and free US shipping of The #MeToo Reckoning.***Resources mentioned in this episode include: Rowena Chiu's op-ed piece in the New York Times Rowena Chiu's Sojourners article Trailer for She Said She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Mixed and Edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

Content warning: This episode contains sensitive content about sexual assault. Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was recently sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison on top of his current sentence of 23 years for sexual assault. In this bonus episode of The Disrupters, Nancy Wang Yuen speaks with Weinstein’s former assistant, advocate, and activist Rowena Chiu. She left the film industry after being victimized by Weinstein in 1998.The 2022 film She Said tells the story of the New York Times investigation that led to Weinstein’s history of abuse and misconduct against women; Chiu is portrayed by actor Angela Yeoh in the film. For Rowena, watching her own story play out in a film evoked complicated feelings: “It is absolutely true that I'm super proud of it, and I think it's a major achievement. It is also an incredibly difficult movie for the individual survivor to watch,” says Chiu. “It's going to be difficult for me not to feel that the story is out of my control.” In this episode, Nancy talks to Rowena about how she copes with that tension, how being a Christian has made it difficult for survivors of sexual misconduct to receive support from the church, and how she has learned to tell a deeply difficult story with courage and clarity.To learn more about how issues of sexual misconduct and abuse affect faith communities, check out <a href="https://ivpress.com/the-metoo-reckoning" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The #MeToo Reckoning</a> by pastor and survivor Ruth Everhart. Use the code DISRUPT at <a href="http://ivpress.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com</a> for 30% off and free US shipping of The #MeToo Reckoning.***Resources mentioned in this episode include:<ul> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/05/opinion/sunday/harvey-weinstein-rowena-chiu.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rowena Chiu's op-ed piece in the New York Times</a></li> <li><a href="https://sojo.net/magazine/june-2020/harvey-weinstein-tried-rape-me-i-never-told-my-church" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rowena Chiu's Sojourners article</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5pxUQecM3Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trailer for She Said</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/She-Said-Breaking-Harassment-Movement/dp/052556036X/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=she+said&amp;qid=1677643024&amp;sr=8-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey</a></li> </ul> The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Mixed and Edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

Weinstein Survivor Rowena Chiu Writes Her Own Script

Kaitlyn Schiess

In recent years there has been much cynicism regarding Christians’ role in American politics, especially from younger generations. Kaitlyn Schiess, a doctoral theology student at Duke Divinity School and author of Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of our Neighbor (IVP), understands those challenges.“A lot of young people today, who want to stay in the church or really truly believe the gospel and want to to take Scripture as authoritative in their lives don't know how to reconcile the fact that the people that taught them to care about the gospel and taught them to care about what Scripture said, didn't seem to actually want to do those things when it really came down to it politically.”But where Kaitlyn lives, she’s seen young white evangelicals “act like [they’re} the first person to do this” type of justice work when “there is [already] a rich tradition of the Black church being deeply involved in politics here.”She cautions that especially for white evangelicals, “If you want to partner, if you want to learn…that's great. If you want to start a brand new thing, like no one's ever thought of this, you're pretty quickly going to be humbled.”Disruptions discussed in this episode:  Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of our Neighbor The Bible and The Ballot: Using Scripture in Political Decisions The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here Bernie Sanders Liberty University Speech Raphael Warnock 2022 Georgia Senate Race Acceptance Speech Michael Wear The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Mixed and Edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

In recent years there has been much cynicism regarding Christians’ role in American politics, especially from younger generations. Kaitlyn Schiess, a doctoral theology student at Duke Divinity School and author of Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of our Neighbor (IVP), understands those challenges.“A lot of young people today, who want to stay in the church or really truly believe the gospel and want to to take Scripture as authoritative in their lives don't know how to reconcile the fact that the people that taught them to care about the gospel and taught them to care about what Scripture said, didn't seem to actually want to do those things when it really came down to it politically.”But where Kaitlyn lives, she’s seen young white evangelicals “act like [they’re} the first person to do this” type of justice work when “there is [already] a rich tradition of the Black church being deeply involved in politics here.”She cautions that especially for white evangelicals, “If you want to partner, if you want to learn…that's great. If you want to start a brand new thing, like no one's ever thought of this, you're pretty quickly going to be humbled.” Disruptions discussed in this episode: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Ballot-Scripture-Political-Decisions/dp/0802877346" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of our Neighbor</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Ballot-Scripture-Political-Decisions/dp/0802877346" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Bible and The Ballot: Using Scripture in Political Decisions</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ballot-Bible-Scripture-American-Politics/dp/1587435969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5ZB8Lg1tcA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bernie Sanders Liberty University Speech</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWqs1VQQ96g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Raphael Warnock 2022 Georgia Senate Race Acceptance Speech</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.michaelwear.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Wear</a></li> </ul> The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Mixed and Edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

Kaitlyn Schiess Has a Warning for White Evangelicals

Deb Liu

For those not paying attention, it might seem as though Deb Liu, the CEO of Ancestry.com and the author of Take Back Your Power has been on a straightforward path to success her whole life. Despite Chinese cultural norms that tend to favor boys over girls, Deb’s parents were incredibly supportive, accepting her for who she was: “[My father] took us fishing, he taught me how to shoot. We went crabbing and shrimping. He treated us like he would any other boy or girl. And it was really great. I had such a wonderful childhood with him.”But great parents couldn’t fully protect Deb from what was seen as normal in the American south, “where people just brutally bullied you for being different,” according to Liu.For someone in her position, overcoming these kinds of experiences is often cited as a reason for success and not a barrier. But for Liu, it’s more complicated than that: “That taught me so much resilience, and yet gave me so much resentment at the same. I had to spend a lot of time really breaking through that…I used that resentment. I used it to actually help me accelerate my career, to get to college, to achieve so much.And yet at the same time, it was really hurting me too, because that chip on my shoulder of ‘I'm going to prove to them that I'm better than they think I am, that I'm more than they assume I am,’ really hurt me in the long term.”Disruptions discussed in this episode:  MommySchool.net The Purpose Driven Life The Five Love Languages The Righteous Mind Why We’re Polarized Forward The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Mixed and Edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

For those not paying attention, it might seem as though Deb Liu, the CEO of <a href="http://Ancestry.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ancestry.com</a> and the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Take-Back-Your-Power-Rules/dp/031036485X" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Take Back Your Power </a>has been on a straightforward path to success her whole life. Despite Chinese cultural norms that tend to favor boys over girls, Deb’s parents were incredibly supportive, accepting her for who she was: “[My father] took us fishing, he taught me how to shoot. We went crabbing and shrimping. He treated us like he would any other boy or girl. And it was really great. I had such a wonderful childhood with him.”But great parents couldn’t fully protect Deb from what was seen as normal in the American south, “where people just brutally bullied you for being different,” according to Liu.For someone in her position, overcoming these kinds of experiences is often cited as a reason for success and not a barrier. But for Liu, it’s more complicated than that: “That taught me so much resilience, and yet gave me so much resentment at the same. I had to spend a lot of time really breaking through that…I used that resentment. I used it to actually help me accelerate my career, to get to college, to achieve so much.And yet at the same time, it was really hurting me too, because that chip on my shoulder of ‘I'm going to prove to them that I'm better than they think I am, that I'm more than they assume I am,’ really hurt me in the long term.” Disruptions discussed in this episode: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.mommyschool.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MommySchool.net</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Driven-Life-What-Earth/dp/031033750X" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Purpose Driven Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Languages-Secret-That-Lasts/dp/0802473156" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Five Love Languages</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Righteous Mind</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Why-Were-Polarized-Ezra-Klein/dp/147670032X" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why We’re Polarized</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forward-Notes-Future-Our-Democracy/dp/0593238656" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Forward</a></li> </ul> The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Mixed and Edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

Deb Liu’s Double-Edged Sword of Resilience and Resentment

In this series, Nancy Wang Yuen is joined by co-host New York Times bestselling author and historian Jemar Tisby for a miniseries exploring the Christmas season through the lenses of race, gender, and class. They examine some of the implicit and explicit messages that permeate Christian Christmas culture and that we often enjoy and consume indiscriminately.In part 4, Nancy and Jemar discuss the obsession with white Santa and the ways that cultural representations often distract from the heart of the season, Jesus Christ. The Disrupters: I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas is hosted by Drs. Jemar Tisby and Nancy Wang Yuen. Mixed and edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

In this series, Nancy Wang Yuen is joined by co-host New York Times bestselling author and historian Jemar Tisby for a miniseries exploring the Christmas season through the lenses of race, gender, and class. They examine some of the implicit and explicit messages that permeate Christian Christmas culture and that we often enjoy and consume indiscriminately.In part 4, Nancy and Jemar discuss the obsession with white Santa and the ways that cultural representations often distract from the heart of the season, Jesus Christ.  The Disrupters: I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas is hosted by Drs. Jemar Tisby and Nancy Wang Yuen. Mixed and edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas, Part 4: How White Santa Overshadows Jesus

In this series, Nancy Wang Yuen is joined by co-host New York Times bestselling author and historian Jemar Tisby for a miniseries exploring the Christmas season through the lenses of race, gender, and class. They examine some of the implicit and explicit messages that permeate Christian Christmas culture and that we often enjoy and consume indiscriminately.In part 3, Nancy and Jemar discuss what it actually looks like to have people of color fully represented in Christmas movies. The Disrupters: I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas is hosted by Drs. Jemar Tisby and Nancy Wang Yuen. Mixed and edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

In this series, Nancy Wang Yuen is joined by co-host New York Times bestselling author and historian Jemar Tisby for a miniseries exploring the Christmas season through the lenses of race, gender, and class. They examine some of the implicit and explicit messages that permeate Christian Christmas culture and that we often enjoy and consume indiscriminately.In part 3, Nancy and Jemar discuss what it actually looks like to have people of color fully represented in Christmas movies. The Disrupters: I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas is hosted by Drs. Jemar Tisby and Nancy Wang Yuen. Mixed and edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas, Part 3: Christmas in Color

In this series, Nancy Wang Yuen is joined by co-host New York Times bestselling author and historian Jemar Tisby for a miniseries exploring the Christmas season through the lenses of race, gender, and class. They examine some of the implicit and explicit messages that permeate Christian Christmas culture and that we often enjoy and consume indiscriminately.In part 2, Nancy and Jemar discuss the proliferation of the Christmas Rom-Com, and the cultural tropes that often come alongside them. The Disrupters: I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas is hosted by Drs. Jemar Tisby and Nancy Wang Yuen. Mixed and edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

In this series, Nancy Wang Yuen is joined by co-host New York Times bestselling author and historian Jemar Tisby for a miniseries exploring the Christmas season through the lenses of race, gender, and class. They examine some of the implicit and explicit messages that permeate Christian Christmas culture and that we often enjoy and consume indiscriminately.In part 2, Nancy and Jemar discuss the proliferation of the Christmas Rom-Com, and the cultural tropes that often come alongside them.  The Disrupters: I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas is hosted by Drs. Jemar Tisby and Nancy Wang Yuen. Mixed and edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas, Part 2: The Christmas Rom-Com

For the next four episodes, Nancy Wang Yuen is joined by co-host, New York Times bestselling author and historian Jemar Tisby for a miniseries exploring the Christmas season through the lenses of race, gender, and class. They examine some of the implicit and explicit messages that permeate Christian Christmas culture and that we often enjoy and consume indiscriminately.In part 1 of this series, our hosts discuss the reasons for doing a series like this at all and also share about their own personal experiences with Christmas through their unique perspectives as Christians of color for whom the phrase “white Christmas” has a completely different connotation. You will learn, you will laugh, and you will never see the Christmas season in the same way again. Join us in dreaming of a not-white Christmas this year!The Disrupters: I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas is hosted by Drs. Jemar Tisby and Nancy Wang Yuen. Mixed and edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

For the next four episodes, Nancy Wang Yuen is joined by co-host, New York Times bestselling author and historian Jemar Tisby for a miniseries exploring the Christmas season through the lenses of race, gender, and class. They examine some of the implicit and explicit messages that permeate Christian Christmas culture and that we often enjoy and consume indiscriminately.In part 1 of this series, our hosts discuss the reasons for doing a series like this at all and also share about their own personal experiences with Christmas through their unique perspectives as Christians of color for whom the phrase “white Christmas” has a completely different connotation. You will learn, you will laugh, and you will never see the Christmas season in the same way again. Join us in dreaming of a not-white Christmas this year! The Disrupters: I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas is hosted by Drs. Jemar Tisby and Nancy Wang Yuen. Mixed and edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

I’m Dreaming of a Not-White Christmas, Part 1

Michael Chang

Michael Chang is a legendary tennis player, primarily known for his improbable 1989 victory as a teenager at the French Open, among his many successes. But for Chang, that is not his primary legacy. “I've never thought of tennis as just being tennis,” says Chang. “I've always positioned it as a way to touch lives, to share my faith, to inspire young people…young Asian athletes in particular.”It’s a perspective that has helped Chang see his sports career, however successful it has been, in the proper light: “Whether I was winning, whether I was losing, whether it was a very, very close match, the perspective of knowing that this doesn't change who I am or how I'm loved was a great comfort for me.”As the only Asian American male player to hoist a major tennis championship trophy, Chang provided a joyous moment for people of color and especially Asian American fans during a time of tennis’s heyday in the era of white American tennis stars such as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. As a Christian on tour, Chang never shied away from naming his faith as a core piece of his identity. Decades later, his fans still remember how much of a disruption he was to the sport, long before the Williams sisters and Naomi Osaka became household names. Enjoy this conversation with Michael Chang, who still holds the record as the youngest man to ever win a major tennis championship.Disruptions discussed in this episode:  30 for 30 Documentary “American Son” Announcement Michael Chang vs Ivan Lendl - 1989 French Open Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey “Let's come together to end the hate,” essay by Michael Chang The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Mixed and Edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

Michael Chang is a legendary tennis player, primarily known for his improbable 1989 victory as a teenager at the French Open, among his many successes. But for Chang, that is not his primary legacy. “I've never thought of tennis as just being tennis,” says Chang. “I've always positioned it as a way to touch lives, to share my faith, to inspire young people…young Asian athletes in particular.”It’s a perspective that has helped Chang see his sports career, however successful it has been, in the proper light: “Whether I was winning, whether I was losing, whether it was a very, very close match, the perspective of knowing that this doesn't change who I am or how I'm loved was a great comfort for me.”As the only Asian American male player to hoist a major tennis championship trophy, Chang provided a joyous moment for people of color and especially Asian American fans during a time of tennis’s heyday in the era of white American tennis stars such as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. As a Christian on tour, Chang never shied away from naming his faith as a core piece of his identity. Decades later, his fans still remember how much of a disruption he was to the sport, long before the Williams sisters and Naomi Osaka became household names. Enjoy this conversation with Michael Chang, who still holds the record as the youngest man to ever win a major tennis championship.Disruptions discussed in this episode: <ul> <li><a href="https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2022/09/espn-films-announces-30-for-30-documentary-american-son-on-tennis-player-michael-chang/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">30 for 30 Documentary “American Son” Announcement</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTPAUi0nFIs&amp;t=3123s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Chang vs Ivan Lendl - 1989 French Open</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Colorblind-Redeeming-Ethnic-Journey/dp/0830845151" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/michael-chang--let-s-come-together-to-end-the-hate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Let's come together to end the hate,” essay by Michael Chang</a></li> </ul> The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Mixed and Edited by Matt LinderProducers: Richard Clark and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

Why It Doesn’t Matter Whether Tennis Legend Michael Chang Wins or Loses

Christina Edmondson

It can be exhausting to fight injustice. But for those who are marginalized, it can be traumatizing. And especially when that injustice is around every corner, it can often seem impossible to heal in the face of it. But according to educator and activist Dr. Christina Edmonson, healing is a gift that has already been given: “For believers, healing is one of our blood-bought rights. It is something that has been given to us to do this. It has been won for us in the resurrection.”If that’s true, what can the marginalized believer do to experience that kind of healing in their reality? This week, Nancy Wang Yuen and Dr. Christina Edmondson discuss the tangled knot of what it means, and what it takes, to truly heal from racial trauma. Disruptions discussed in this episode:   Faithful Antiracism: Moving Past Talk to Systemic Change by Christina Edmondson and Chad Brennan  Truth's Table: Black Women's Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation by Christina Edmondson, Ekemini Uwan, and Michelle Higgins.  Healing Racial Trauma by Sheila Wise Rowe The Witness’ #LeaveLOUD Campaign Truth’s Table Podcast Get in the Word with Truth’s Table The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Producers: Richard Clark and Maila Kim, mixed and edited by Matt LinderExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

It can be exhausting to fight injustice. But for those who are marginalized, it can be traumatizing. And especially when that injustice is around every corner, it can often seem impossible to heal in the face of it. But according to educator and activist Dr. Christina Edmonson, healing is a gift that has already been given: “For believers, healing is one of our blood-bought rights. It is something that has been given to us to do this. It has been won for us in the resurrection.”If that’s true, what can the marginalized believer do to experience that kind of healing in their reality? This week, Nancy Wang Yuen and Dr. Christina Edmondson discuss the tangled knot of what it means, and what it takes, to truly heal from racial trauma.  Disruptions discussed in this episode: <ul> <li> <a href="https://faithfulantiracism.com/book/faithful-antiracism/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Faithful Antiracism: Moving Past Talk to Systemic Change</a> by Christina Edmondson and Chad Brennan</li> <li> <a href="https://truthstable.com/book" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Truth's Table: Black Women's Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation</a> by Christina Edmondson, Ekemini Uwan, and Michelle Higgins.</li> <li> <a href="http://ivpress.com/healing-racial-trauma" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Healing Racial Trauma</a> by Sheila Wise Rowe</li> <li><a href="https://thewitnessbcc.com/ptm-what-is-leaveloud/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Witness’ #LeaveLOUD Campaign</a></li> <li><a href="https://truthstable.com/truths-table" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Truth’s Table Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="http://ivpress.com/theword" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Get in the Word with Truth’s Table</a></li> </ul> The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Producers: Richard Clark and Maila Kim, mixed and edited by Matt LinderExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

You’re Ready to Heal. Now What? With Dr. Christina Edmondson

Jon Ward

If you’re listening to this podcast, you’ve probably left, or considered leaving evangelicalism. But what does it mean to leave evangelicalism, and what is evangelicalism anyway? In today’s episode, Nancy speaks to reporter Jon Ward about the disparity between what the evangelical movement’s aspirational ideas and the current reality of the evangelical movement at work in the world. “A lot of evangelicalism is a cultural project, which presents itself as a theological project,” says Ward. “There's a disconnect between the faith and the principles of the faith, and how to apply them broadly,”So what does that mean for those of us who aren’t exactly feeling the “cultural project” of evangelicalism? And how do we focus on moving forward rather than merely looking back? Nancy and Jon bring their unique perspectives to a complex topic in this week’s episode of The Disrupters. Disruptions discussed in this episode:  Jon Ward’s upcoming book, Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation  Interview about the Greg Thompson/Duke Kwon book, Reparations The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America “Shame” by Jake Meador  The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby  Culture Care by Makoto Fujimura The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Producers: Richard Clark, Matthew Linder, and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

If you’re listening to this podcast, you’ve probably left, or considered leaving evangelicalism. But what does it mean to leave evangelicalism, and what is evangelicalism anyway? In today’s episode, Nancy speaks to reporter Jon Ward about the disparity between what the evangelical movement’s aspirational ideas and the current reality of the evangelical movement at work in the world. “A lot of evangelicalism is a cultural project, which presents itself as a theological project,” says Ward. “There's a disconnect between the faith and the principles of the faith, and how to apply them broadly,”So what does that mean for those of us who aren’t exactly feeling the “cultural project” of evangelicalism? And how do we focus on moving forward rather than merely looking back? Nancy and Jon bring their unique perspectives to a complex topic in this week’s episode of The Disrupters. Disruptions discussed in this episode: <ul> <li>Jon Ward’s upcoming book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Testimony-Inside-Evangelical-Movement-Generation/dp/1587435772/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QP0MWZJVTDIW&amp;keywords=testimony+jon+ward&amp;qid=1666383485&amp;qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjkzIiwicXNhIjoiMC45NSIsInFzcCI6IjAuOTkifQ%3D%3D&amp;sprefix=testimony+jon+ward%2Caps%2C74&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation</a> </li> <li><a href="https://news.yahoo.com/a-conservative-christian-book-ignites-debate-over-reparations-and-faith-itself-211529396.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALfKM3Lp97H5d106GWVBUhgI3xJi1M0HORrZf5uXlLj2eHR9lSSQ9zOfzPwf2ZU_-wXq-1tQfejPfX79pX4D_7kcCL1R2GmA3EnrWz2U4Ognjs_-LMMatGpxvj3YAx1JCmoK4O8QmHrFRNv1_NOxdadbOFCLUb74FldIjgi62dtQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Interview about the Greg Thompson/Duke Kwon book, Reparations</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Evangelicals-Struggle-Shape-America/dp/1439131333" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America</a></li> <li><a href="https://mereorthodoxy.com/shame/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Shame” by Jake Meador</a></li> <li> <a href="https://jemartisby.com/the-color-of-compromise/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Color of Compromise</a> by Jemar Tisby</li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Care-Reconnecting-Beauty-Common/dp/0830845038" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Culture Care</a> by Makoto Fujimura</li> </ul> The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu.Producers: Richard Clark, Matthew Linder, and Maila KimExecutive Producers: Andrew Bronson and Helen Lee

Leaving Evangelicalism, with Jon Ward

For season four of The Disrupters, through both her life experiences and interviews, sociologist and pop-culture expert Nancy Wang Yuen will explore the nature of Christian spirituality in the real world. Guests will include people with experience, insights, and advice in doing just that.Yuen said, “This season, I invite listeners to join me on my spiritual journey toward liberation. Each week, a new guest will help me process the foibles of evangelicalism, teach me how to heal from spiritual trauma, and share fresh new ways of doing faith.”Yuen is the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism and coeditor with Deshonna Collier-Goubil of Power Women: Stories of Motherhood, Faith, and the Academy. She has appeared on PBS, NPR, MSNBC, CBS News, NBC News, BBC World, and Dr. Phil. She is a guest writer at CNN, Elle, Los Angeles Times, NBC, and Newsweek.

Jemar Tisby

Back in early 2020, on the first season of The Disrupters, Jemar Tisby told then-host Esau McCaulley that a person of color’s participation in historically white Christian spaces inherently come with a cost: “You get pushed out, you burn out, or you sell out.” For McCaulley, this was a challenge to his own approach, as a black Christian who was a professor in a white-Christian institution: “This podcast is a record in time, and this is a hypothesis.” Said McCaulley at the time. “Let’s follow God in this way, and then let’s check back in 5-10 years and see what God has done with both. Hopefully, he’s blessed both.”It hasn’t yet been five years, but for both Tisby and host Nancy Wang Yuen, the writing is on the wall. White Christian institutions have not created spaces where they can thrive. But what does that mean for the way forward? For Tisby, a key component of moving forward involves telling his own story in as truthful a way he can. “What I realized over time is if we don't tell our stories, then they can continue the really unhealthy, traumatic, abusive behavior. In some cases, the malpractice is allowed to continue.” Jemar Tisby is a New York Times bestselling author, national speaker, and public historian on a mission to deliver truths from the Black experience with depth and clarity.Disruptions discussed in this episode: An Open Letter to the Board of Trustees at Grove City CollegeWhite Awake by Daniel HillThose Meddling KidsPass the MicTruth’s Table: The Podcast and The BookTruth's Table: Get In the Word PodcastTyler Burns’ Sermons at All Nations FellowshipJesus and the Disinherited by Howard ThurmanLet us Google that for you.Amanda Gorman Reads Inaugural Poem, The Hill We ClimbThe Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu. Executive Producers are Helen Lee and Andrew Bronson. 

Back in early 2020, on the first season of The Disrupters, <a href="https://megaphone.link/CHRTDY6295071671" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jemar Tisby told then-host Esau McCaulley</a> that a person of color’s participation in historically white Christian spaces inherently come with a cost: “You get pushed out, you burn out, or you sell out.” For McCaulley, this was a challenge to his own approach, as a black Christian who was a professor in a white-Christian institution: “This podcast is a record in time, and this is a hypothesis.” Said McCaulley at the time. “Let’s follow God in this way, and then let’s check back in 5-10 years and see what God has done with both. Hopefully, he’s blessed both.”It hasn’t yet been five years, but for both Tisby and host Nancy Wang Yuen, the writing is on the wall. White Christian institutions have not created spaces where they can thrive. But what does that mean for the way forward? For Tisby, a key component of moving forward involves telling his own story in as truthful a way he can. “What I realized over time is if we don't tell our stories, then they can continue the really unhealthy, traumatic, abusive behavior. In some cases, the malpractice is allowed to continue.” Jemar Tisby is a New York Times bestselling author, national speaker, and public historian on a mission to deliver truths from the Black experience with depth and clarity. Disruptions discussed in this episode: <a href="https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/an-open-letter-to-the-board-of-trustees#details" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An Open Letter to the Board of Trustees at Grove City College</a><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/white-awake" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">White Awake by Daniel Hill</a><a href="https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/those-meddling-kids-now-available" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Those Meddling Kids</a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pass-the-mic/id1435500798" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pass the Mic</a><a href="https://truthstable.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Truth’s Table: The Podcast and The Book</a><a href="https://truthstable.com/get-in-the-word" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Truth's Table: Get In the Word Podcast</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/AllNationsWorshipAssemblyPensacola" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tyler Burns’ Sermons at All Nations Fellowship</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Disinherited-Howard-Thurman/dp/0807010294" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman</a><a href="https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=black+preachers+and+theologians" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Let us Google that for you.</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ055ilIiN4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amanda Gorman Reads Inaugural Poem, The Hill We Climb</a> The Disrupters is hosted by Nancy Wang Yuen. Theme song is New Eyes by Jason Chu. Executive Producers are Helen Lee and Andrew Bronson.

What Happens If We Don’t Tell Our Stories, with Jemar Tisby

Nancy Wang Yuen is back for Season 4, and this season, she’s going to spill some tea.Join us on Monday, October 31 for the first in a series of conversations about how to heal and move on from the toxic religious institutions and movements that many of us have been a part of for years.

Nancy Wang Yuen is back for Season 4, and this season, she’s going to spill some tea.Join us on Monday, October 31 for the first in a series of conversations about how to heal and move on from the toxic religious institutions and movements that many of us have been a part of for years.

Coming October 31: Disrupters Season 4! 

We're back, with a bonus Oscars episode of The Disrupters. Nancy talks to Rebecca Sun, the senior editor of diversity and inclusion at the Hollywood Reporter to discuss the various nominees, the lack of a dominant Oscars narrative, the confounding nature of Drive My Car, and the upcoming Pachinko TV series.

We're back, with a bonus Oscars episode of The Disrupters. Nancy talks to Rebecca Sun, the senior editor of diversity and inclusion at the Hollywood Reporter to discuss the various nominees, the lack of a dominant Oscars narrative, the confounding nature of Drive My Car, and the upcoming Pachinko TV series.

The Oscars Preview Bonus Episode!

Mike Cosper

"I think it fundamentally comes back to, we want to win. We want to be told we're right. And we don't want to be put in a position where we're being called to lay down our lives for our friends and neighbors."Mike Cosper is perhaps best known for his breakthrough podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. The podcast experienced crossover success, rising up the mainstream podcast charts and being listened to by Christians and non-Christians alike. Having finished the series, Mike has clear eyes about the failures of the white evangelical church, and while race may not have been a major factor in the original podcast, he sees a direct line from white evangelicalism's struggle against racial justice to the kinds of attitudes that lead to the titular disaster of his podcast.In this episode, we ask Mike Cosper why people of color stayed away from churches like Mars Hill, and explore the deeper reasons for the vitriol they're experiencing now.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at ivpress.com/disrupters. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at ivpress.com.

"I think it fundamentally comes back to, we want to win. We want to be told we're right. And we don't want to be put in a position where we're being called to lay down our lives for our friends and neighbors."Mike Cosper is perhaps best known for his breakthrough podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. The podcast experienced crossover success, rising up the mainstream podcast charts and being listened to by Christians and non-Christians alike. Having finished the series, Mike has clear eyes about the failures of the white evangelical church, and while race may not have been a major factor in the original podcast, he sees a direct line from white evangelicalism's struggle against racial justice to the kinds of attitudes that lead to the titular disaster of his podcast.In this episode, we ask Mike Cosper why people of color stayed away from churches like Mars Hill, and explore the deeper reasons for the vitriol they're experiencing now.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at <a href="http://ivpress.com/disrupters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com/disrupters</a>. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at <a href="http://ivpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com</a>.

Mike Cosper Explores Why White Evangelical Churches Implode

Nick Cho

As we exist in this life, in what ways can we make this world a better place?The simplicity and depth of this question exemplifies who Nick Cho is. As “Your Korean Dad” on TikTok, with over 3 million followers, Nick speaks gently and directly to viewers in his less than a minute-long videos. Each one is characterized by fatherly care, authenticity and whimsy. Nick takes us to buy snacks at Walgreens. He makes coffee for us while we do homework. He also addresses Transracial adoptees, acknowledging their struggles and telling them “I see you.” Some have dubbed him a modern-day Mr. Rogers.In this episode, we talk to Cho about how church life has formed him and why he walked away.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at ivpress.com/disrupters. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at ivpress.com.

As we exist in this life, in what ways can we make this world a better place?The simplicity and depth of this question exemplifies who Nick Cho is. As “Your Korean Dad” on TikTok, with over 3 million followers, Nick speaks gently and directly to viewers in his less than a minute-long videos. Each one is characterized by fatherly care, authenticity and whimsy. Nick takes us to buy snacks at Walgreens. He makes coffee for us while we do homework. He also addresses Transracial adoptees, acknowledging their struggles and telling them “I see you.” Some have dubbed him a modern-day Mr. Rogers.In this episode, we talk to Cho about how church life has formed him and why he walked away.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at <a href="http://ivpress.com/disrupters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com/disrupters</a>. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at <a href="http://ivpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com</a>.

Why You Need a Korean Dad Like Nick Cho

Phil Yu

“I find that my journey as an Asian-American parallels my journey of faith as well this is where it intersects.” -Phil Yu“I don’t think I can talk about being Asian-American really without talking about the communities of faith that have fed that identity.” -Jeff Yang Phil Yu and Jeff Yang are the godfathers of Asian American pop culture and men of faith. On this episode of The Disrupters, we talk about how the two identities intersect when it comes to community and continual investment.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at ivpress.com/disrupters. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at ivpress.com.

“I find that my journey as an Asian-American parallels my journey of faith as well this is where it intersects.” -Phil Yu“I don’t think I can talk about being Asian-American really without talking about the communities of faith that have fed that identity.” -Jeff Yang Phil Yu and Jeff Yang are the godfathers of Asian American pop culture and men of faith. On this episode of The Disrupters, we talk about how the two identities intersect when it comes to community and continual investment.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at <a href="http://ivpress.com/disrupters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com/disrupters</a>. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at <a href="http://ivpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com</a>.

Phil Yu & Jeff Yang are "Very Asian," and Just as Christian

Terry Wildman

“When you take a story as beautiful as the Gospel of loving sacrifice, of a man who would heal the sick, care for the poor, bound up the brokenhearted, and you begin to force that belief in institutional settings, it destroys that message.”Terry Wildman understood what he was up against when he took the lead in a new Native-centered translation of the Bible: “If we can separate Jesus from the colonial baggage…then our Native people can take a real honest look at this holy man.”Addressing how words like “sin” were once used to oppress Native peoples, Terry Wildman explains how the First Nations Version of the New Testament gets back to the heart of Creator’s message of love.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at ivpress.com/disrupters. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at ivpress.com.

“When you take a story as beautiful as the Gospel of loving sacrifice, of a man who would heal the sick, care for the poor, bound up the brokenhearted, and you begin to force that belief in institutional settings, it destroys that message.”Terry Wildman understood what he was up against when he took the lead in a new Native-centered translation of the Bible: “If we can separate Jesus from the colonial baggage…then our Native people can take a real honest look at this holy man.”Addressing how words like “sin” were once used to oppress Native peoples, Terry Wildman explains how the First Nations Version of the New Testament gets back to the heart of Creator’s message of love.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at <a href="ivpress.com/disrupters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com/disrupters.</a> Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at <a href="ivpress.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com</a>.

Terry Wildman Reframes the Message

Olivia Liang

“I’ll be honest, my initial reaction to seeing an email that said ‘Audition for role of Nikki, Kung Fu,’ was like, 'Really? Haven’t we gone past this? Aren’t we done with the trope of the Asian doing martial arts?'”When Olivia first saw the audition email for the reboot of Kung Fu, the once popular 1970s TV starring David Carradine, she was not impressed. Olivia Liang is an actor and director with no interest in playing a stereotype, even going so far as to set a personal boundary for herself not to learn martial arts unless she was actively paid to do so. When she was cast as the star of Kung Fu, that's precisely what happened.After becoming more acquainted with the reboot project, she said she got “really excited” that Kung Fu was “going to celebrate…martial arts, which is so near and dear to our culture” and the Chinese Americans “get to be fully formed characters.” For Olivia Liang, this role was a fulfillment of God’s “calling.” Listen as she describes how she wants to be a light in Hollywood through story-telling and “just loving on people.”Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at ivpress.com/disrupters. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at ivpress.com.

“I’ll be honest, my initial reaction to seeing an email that said ‘Audition for role of Nikki, Kung Fu,’ was like, 'Really? Haven’t we gone past this? Aren’t we done with the trope of the Asian doing martial arts?'”When Olivia first saw the audition email for the reboot of Kung Fu, the once popular 1970s TV starring David Carradine, she was not impressed. Olivia Liang is an actor and director with no interest in playing a stereotype, even going so far as to set a personal boundary for herself not to learn martial arts unless she was actively paid to do so. When she was cast as the star of Kung Fu, that's precisely what happened.After becoming more acquainted with the reboot project, she said she got “really excited” that Kung Fu was “going to celebrate…martial arts, which is so near and dear to our culture” and the Chinese Americans “get to be fully formed characters.” For Olivia Liang, this role was a fulfillment of God’s “calling.” Listen as she describes how she wants to be a light in Hollywood through story-telling and “just loving on people.”Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at <a href="http://ivpress.com/disrupters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com/disrupters</a>. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at <a href="http://ivpress.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com</a>.

Olivia Liang Fights for Nuanced Representation in Hollywood

Terence Lester

"I started to create what I call a 'let-go list,' trying to figure out as I evolve as a person, as a community leader, and as a co-leader in my family, really taking an evaluation and assessing the things I need to shed and let go as I create the type of space to give myself and my life to things that matter most in the moment."Terence Lester is a speaker, activist, author, and thought leader in the realm of systemic poverty. He is the founder of Love Beyond Walls, a non-profit organization focused on poverty awareness and community mobilization. His nationwide campaigns have been featured on MLK50, CNN, Good Morning America, USA Today just to name a few. According to Terence, by reorganizing our time and getting into communities with others (even if it’s just one trusted person!), we can all show up and make a difference in the world--whether it’s “30 minutes a week or an hour every other week.” If “1000 people” can give “an hour of time,” Terence believes that the “compounded collective impact can make a huge difference.” Listen to this inspirational conversation as you make your New Year’s resolutions.Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at ivpress.com/disrupters. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at ivpress.com.

"I started to create what I call a 'let-go list,' trying to figure out as I evolve as a person, as a community leader, and as a co-leader in my family, really taking an evaluation and assessing the things I need to shed and let go as I create the type of space to give myself and my life to things that matter most in the moment."Terence Lester is a speaker, activist, author, and thought leader in the realm of systemic poverty. He is the founder of <a href="https://www.lovebeyondwalls.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love Beyond Walls</a>, a non-profit organization focused on poverty awareness and community mobilization. His nationwide campaigns have been featured on MLK50, CNN, Good Morning America, USA Today just to name a few. According to Terence, by reorganizing our time and getting into communities with others (even if it’s just one trusted person!), we can all show up and make a difference in the world--whether it’s “30 minutes a week or an hour every other week.” If “1000 people” can give “an hour of time,” Terence believes that the “compounded collective impact can make a huge difference.” Listen to this inspirational conversation as you make your New Year’s resolutions. Learn more about The Disrupters podcast at <a href="http://ivpress.com/disrupters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com/disrupters</a>. Plus, listeners of The Disrupters podcast will get 30% off all IVP titles plus free US shipping by using promo code DISRUPT at <a href="http://ivpress.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ivpress.com</a>.

Terence Lester Lets Go

Jason Chu

“I always say there’s three strands in my life. There’s racial identity, there’s hip hop culture, and there’s religion. And all three are actually synonymous to me.”Jason Chu is a rapper and activist, speaking hope and healing to a broken world. His music has been heard on Warrior (HBO Max), Snowpiercer (TNT), and Wu Assassins (Netflix). He has shared poetry at the Obama White House, been featured in the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles, and presented at the Getty Center. He has been named one of two 2022 “Artists At Work” by the Japanese American National Museum and Advancing Justice-LA. In this episode, Jason and Nancy chat about how to bring together disparate parts of ourselves in synergistic ways. “Without Jesus, I don’t know who I am as an Asian American. Without hip hop, I don’t know the God that I know. Without being Asian American, I don’t make hip hop music because I don’t got an identity, I don’t got a community.”

“I always say there’s three strands in my life. There’s racial identity, there’s hip hop culture, and there’s religion. And all three are actually synonymous to me.”Jason Chu is a rapper and activist, speaking hope and healing to a broken world. His music has been heard on Warrior (HBO Max), Snowpiercer (TNT), and Wu Assassins (Netflix). He has shared poetry at the Obama White House, been featured in the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles, and presented at the Getty Center. He has been named one of two 2022 “Artists At Work” by the Japanese American National Museum and Advancing Justice-LA. In this episode, Jason and Nancy chat about how to bring together disparate parts of ourselves in synergistic ways. “Without Jesus, I don’t know who I am as an Asian American. Without hip hop, I don’t know the God that I know. Without being Asian American, I don’t make hip hop music because I don’t got an identity, I don’t got a community.”

Jason Chu is Not a Contradiction

I’ve binged the podcast over the last few days and could not put it down! I’ve read many of the books from the authors that Esau interviews, but his excellent interviewing brought more character and meaning out of each individual person’s work. I can’t wait to read Esau’s book, but I hope someone can also get him to keep this podcast going! Young people in the church who are consuming podcasts especially need his voice and the voices of his guests! Keep it going!! Thanks for the excellent work!

Please Don’t Stop at One Season!

Oh man, I was so crushed when I heard Esau say, &#34;Our last episode&#34;! And it was one of the best of a very thought-provoking seaon. Every episode is a gem and had something new for me to think about - and I&#39;ve been a part of lots of conversations about race and gender, etc. Biblically faithful in every dimension, every Christian should listen.

More please!

For season four of The Disrupters, through both her life experiences and interviews, sociologist and pop-culture expert Nancy Wang Yuen will explore the nature of Christian spirituality in the real world. Guests will include people with experience, insights, and advice in doing just that. Yuen said, “This season, I invite listeners to join me on my spiritual journey toward liberation. Each week, a new guest will help me process the foibles of evangelicalism, teach me how to heal from spiritual trauma, and share fresh new ways of doing faith.” Yuen is the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism and coeditor with Deshonna Collier-Goubil of Power Women: Stories of Motherhood, Faith, and the Academy. She has appeared on PBS, NPR, MSNBC, CBS News, NBC News, BBC World, and Dr. Phil. She is a guest writer at CNN, Elle, Los Angeles Times, NBC, and Newsweek.

The Disrupters: Faith Changing Culture

Growing up, Carmen Joy Imes had no idea she’d one day be in an academic setting, lecturing on Old Testament to rooms full of men. Raised in an environment that was skeptical of women teachers, Imes deviated from expectations when she embraced her roles in both the home and classroom.Carmen Imes’s mastery of the Old Testament more than justifies this incidental rebellion. Her love for the subject is evident, and her familiarity with it is undeniable. While her presence may make some uncomfortable, her unapologetic passion combined with her emphasis on the Old Testament’s place in Christian theology deeply influence her students and their scholarship.

Growing up, Carmen Joy Imes had no idea she’d one day be in an academic setting, lecturing on Old Testament to rooms full of men. Raised in an environment that was skeptical of women teachers, Imes deviated from expectations when she embraced her roles in both the home and classroom.Carmen Imes’s mastery of the Old Testament more than justifies this incidental rebellion. Her love for the subject is evident, and her familiarity with it is undeniable. While her presence may make some uncomfortable, her unapologetic passion combined with her emphasis on the Old Testament’s place in Christian theology deeply influence her students and their scholarship.

Carmen Joy Imes and the Disruptive Power of the Old Testament 

Dominique DuBois Gilliard

Was it nature or nurture that led Dominique DuBois Gilliard to write Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores? Probably both. From his years in the historical black church to his personal encounters with police, Gilliard seemed fated to sound the alarm about the issue of mass incarceration. However, he would soon learn that the best way to gain an audience was with steady, measured allusion to what is. Dominique DuBois Gilliard’s goal isn’t to force others to understand the depths of his trauma but rather to ensure no one else has to experience it. And for Gilliard, the only way that happens is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Was it nature or nurture that led Dominique DuBois Gilliard to write Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores? Probably both. From his years in the historical black church to his personal encounters with police, Gilliard seemed fated to sound the alarm about the issue of mass incarceration. However, he would soon learn that the best way to gain an audience was with steady, measured allusion to what is. Dominique DuBois Gilliard’s goal isn’t to force others to understand the depths of his trauma but rather to ensure no one else has to experience it. And for Gilliard, the only way that happens is through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dominique DuBois Gilliard’s Truth Is Louder Than His Trauma

For African American Christians in the evangelical church, cognitive dissonance is a way of life. As African Americans approach cultural change, there’s a long-standing tension between working within mainstream institutions, seeking to provide insight and challenge whenever possible, and then finding their work most effective outside of those institutions.That’s where Jemar Tisby finds himself: “I want to be very careful about where I place my voice.”In this final episode of The Disruptors, a conversation between Esau McCaulley, an African-American professor at a majority white institution, and Jemar Tisby, founder and president of The Witness and author of The Color of Compromise, illuminates the dissonance. More importantly, this conversation clearly demonstrates how this tension serves as an ever-present reminder that the racial struggles we face in the American church flow from historical struggles.

For African American Christians in the evangelical church, cognitive dissonance is a way of life. As African Americans approach cultural change, there’s a long-standing tension between working within mainstream institutions, seeking to provide insight and challenge whenever possible, and then finding their work most effective outside of those institutions.That’s where Jemar Tisby finds himself: “I want to be very careful about where I place my voice.”In this final episode of The Disruptors, a conversation between Esau McCaulley, an African-American professor at a majority white institution, and Jemar Tisby, founder and president of The Witness and author of The Color of Compromise, illuminates the dissonance. More importantly, this conversation clearly demonstrates how this tension serves as an ever-present reminder that the racial struggles we face in the American church flow from historical struggles.

Jemar Tisby Confronts His Collaborators

Ruth Everhart

Despite the fact that the protection of those who are sexually exploited and abused in the church is of utmost importance, the issue continues to exist because of its very nature. Uncomfortable and unwilling to engage a topic that demands so much introspection of the church, many turn their gaze elsewhere.Ruth Everhart, author of The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church’s Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct, wants us to grapple with the reality on the ground and our role in confronting it. We all have a part to play to make the church a safer space for people.

Despite the fact that the protection of those who are sexually exploited and abused in the church is of utmost importance, the issue continues to exist because of its very nature. Uncomfortable and unwilling to engage a topic that demands so much introspection of the church, many turn their gaze elsewhere.Ruth Everhart, author of The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church’s Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct, wants us to grapple with the reality on the ground and our role in confronting it. We all have a part to play to make the church a safer space for people.

Ruth Everhart Reexamines Our Faulty Systems

Jenny Yang

Immigration hasn’t always been as controversial as it is now. In the past, churches seemed to agree that any opportunity to bring the gospel to the foreigner would be welcomed. But in the last several years, Jenny Yang has found herself in the midst of a great transition.So, how has Yang, the Senior Vice President of Advocacy &amp; Policy at World Relief and author of Welcoming the Stranger, coped with the church’s moral whiplash? By focusing on reassessing assumptions. “I'm hopeful despite all of this,” says Yang, “because my sense is that this is perhaps a season that's giving us, as a church, time to reflect on what we really believe about the role of the church, not just in ministry but [also in] political engagement.”

Immigration hasn’t always been as controversial as it is now. In the past, churches seemed to agree that any opportunity to bring the gospel to the foreigner would be welcomed. But in the last several years, Jenny Yang has found herself in the midst of a great transition.So, how has Yang, the Senior Vice President of Advocacy &amp; Policy at World Relief and author of Welcoming the Stranger, coped with the church’s moral whiplash? By focusing on reassessing assumptions. “I'm hopeful despite all of this,” says Yang, “because my sense is that this is perhaps a season that's giving us, as a church, time to reflect on what we really believe about the role of the church, not just in ministry but [also in] political engagement.”

Jenny Yang Stands Strong in the Midst of a Moral Sea Change

For 25 years, Sheila Wise Rowe has counseled trauma and abuse survivors. Many of Rowe’s counselees struggle under the weight of history. For those who suffer from racial trauma, history is not an abstract concept; it’s re-lived with every racial slight or microaggression.We often choose to remember the good things in our past. We celebrate moments that make us happy, give us purpose, or lift our country up. It can be too easy for those in power to forget the darker moments, like when human beings were exploited for the sake of our country’s best interest. But not everyone has the ability to forget. For Sheila Wise Rowe and those she counsels that memory is in their bones.

For 25 years, Sheila Wise Rowe has counseled trauma and abuse survivors. Many of Rowe’s counselees struggle under the weight of history. For those who suffer from racial trauma, history is not an abstract concept; it’s re-lived with every racial slight or microaggression.We often choose to remember the good things in our past. We celebrate moments that make us happy, give us purpose, or lift our country up. It can be too easy for those in power to forget the darker moments, like when human beings were exploited for the sake of our country’s best interest. But not everyone has the ability to forget. For Sheila Wise Rowe and those she counsels that memory is in their bones.

Sheila Wise Rowe Dignifies the Burdens of the Past

Jasmine Holmes

Within certain Christian communities, there’s tremendous pressure to fit within a box, to stay within your lane. Jasmine Holmes, a black Christian mother and author of Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope, has faced that pressure since she was young. But through it all, Jasmine fought to make her faith her own. She learned to embrace her identity without falling into pre-written narratives. And she discovered the deep, genuine joy and pain of motherhood in the face of personal upheaval.

Within certain Christian communities, there’s tremendous pressure to fit within a box, to stay within your lane. Jasmine Holmes, a black Christian mother and author of Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope, has faced that pressure since she was young. But through it all, Jasmine fought to make her faith her own. She learned to embrace her identity without falling into pre-written narratives. And she discovered the deep, genuine joy and pain of motherhood in the face of personal upheaval.

Jasmine Holmes and the Power of Black Motherhood

N.T. Wright

At one point, N.T. Wright found himself standing before a sea change. He was guesting on TV talk shows and publishing bestsellers. All in an effort to address what he saw as a disparity between beliefs about Scripture and what Scripture actually says. Wright has never thought of himself as disruptive, but he admits that others have. He's also happy to disturb the overly comfortable mindset that has come with “shallow readings, which haven’t always been accurate.” “If my work disturbs them,” Wright says, “then Hallelujah.” His willingness to disturb, however, is secondary to his determination to get Scripture right at all costs and to renew an interest in a book that has become stale to many. His scholarship on Paul, in particular, has both ruffled feathers and awakened a new spiritual passion in many. 

At one point, N.T. Wright found himself standing before a sea change. He was guesting on TV talk shows and publishing bestsellers. All in an effort to address what he saw as a disparity between beliefs about Scripture and what Scripture actually says. Wright has never thought of himself as disruptive, but he admits that others have. He's also happy to disturb the overly comfortable mindset that has come with “shallow readings, which haven’t always been accurate.” “If my work disturbs them,” Wright says, “then Hallelujah.” His willingness to disturb, however, is secondary to his determination to get Scripture right at all costs and to renew an interest in a book that has become stale to many. His scholarship on Paul, in particular, has both ruffled feathers and awakened a new spiritual passion in many.

N.T. Wright Forces an Overdue Conversation

Tish Harrison Warren

Let’s say you’ve written a book about a passion of yours. To you, and everyone else’s surprise, it’s a huge hit. Now, the thing you loved has become a “fad.” What do you do next? Nothing new. For author and anglican priest, Tish Harrison Warren, it’s the unchanging tradition that makes liturgy disruptive. In this conversation Tish and Esau talk about the remarkably life-changing (and life-stabilizing) ways that taking part in liturgical rhythms have saved them from themselves and disrupted the cultural scripts we live in. Because when everything changes, you need something to stay the same.

Let’s say you’ve written a book about a passion of yours. To you, and everyone else’s surprise, it’s a huge hit. Now, the thing you loved has become a “fad.” What do you do next? Nothing new. For author and anglican priest, Tish Harrison Warren, it’s the unchanging tradition that makes liturgy disruptive. In this conversation Tish and Esau talk about the remarkably life-changing (and life-stabilizing) ways that taking part in liturgical rhythms have saved them from themselves and disrupted the cultural scripts we live in. Because when everything changes, you need something to stay the same.

Tish Harrison Warren Interrupts the Cultural Narrative

Sho Baraka

Sho Baraka, a rapper and creative, came out of a Christian music scene that felt safe at best and restrictive at worst.Sho felt an ever-present evangelical gaze looking over his shoulder, critiquing him and his work. Eventually, Sho decided it wasn’t worth the cost—of his creativity, of his hopes, of himself. But the more Sho poured himself into his work, the more he disrupted his career. His music became too controversial for Christian retail outlets and youth groups playlists.In an attempt to evade the evangelical edit, Sho took on the responsibilities of a traditional record label himself. While personal branding and creative salesmanship may be problematic at times, for Sho, it was the natural, and only, next step.Anyone can be a revolutionary, but you still gotta pay your bills.Visit Sho Baraka’s website at www.barakaology.com. Follow him on Twitter: @AmIshoBaraka.The Disrupters is produced by CT Creative Studio in partnership with InterVarsity Press. The Disrupters is hosted by Esau McCaulley. Visit his website at esaumccaulley.com. Follow him on Twitter: @esaumccaulley.

Sho Baraka, a rapper and creative, came out of a Christian music scene that felt safe at best and restrictive at worst.Sho felt an ever-present evangelical gaze looking over his shoulder, critiquing him and his work. Eventually, Sho decided it wasn’t worth the cost—of his creativity, of his hopes, of himself. But the more Sho poured himself into his work, the more he disrupted his career. His music became too controversial for Christian retail outlets and youth groups playlists.In an attempt to evade the evangelical edit, Sho took on the responsibilities of a traditional record label himself. While personal branding and creative salesmanship may be problematic at times, for Sho, it was the natural, and only, next step.Anyone can be a revolutionary, but you still gotta pay your bills.Visit Sho Baraka’s website at <a href="http://www.barakaology.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.barakaology.com</a>. Follow him on Twitter: @<a href="https://twitter.com/AmIshoBaraka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AmIshoBaraka</a>.The Disrupters is produced by CT Creative Studio in partnership with <a href="http://www.ivpress.com/disrupters/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">InterVarsity Press</a>. The Disrupters is hosted by Esau McCaulley. Visit his website at <a href="http://www.esaumccaulley.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">esaumccaulley.com</a>. Follow him on Twitter: @<a href="https://twitter.com/esaumccaulley" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">esaumccaulley</a>.

Sho Baraka Evades the Evangelical Edit

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