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Faithful Disruption: Religion in Public Life
Democracy Needs You
On this episode of the “Faithful Disruption” podcast, Trista Soendker-Nicholoson takes part in a midterm election webinar and conversation with Leslie LeSieur, senior director of the Center for Ministry and Lay Training at Phillips. They discuss questions attendees have about the upcoming election and how faith is a part of the process. There are also midterm election resources available.
OCT 22, 2026 (original publication date)
As the November midterm elections approach, the Center for Religion in Public Life has published conversations and reflections on civic life. Here are three places to start, along with two more resources for additional reading.
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BasicsIn “Civics 101”, Faithful Disruption podcast host Trista Soendker Nicholson talks with civics teacher Jessica Hill about the fundamentals of civic life ahead of the midterms. It is a useful refresher for anyone who wants to return to the fundamentals before voting.
Money mattersIn “Climate Connections,” Nicholson interviews U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. He argues that conservative “dark money” groups are corrupting the federal government to block climate action.
Take careThe post “Just... tired” begins with observations that people are “all just tired” after a session on staying connected with congregations during election season. The post names a series of news stories as a source of exhaustion. It argues that caring for yourself helps you keep doing faith-based and political work over the long term.
Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk is recommended. While it was published more than 20 years ago, addresses burnout without minimizing trauma. Learn more about the book.
• Brennan Center for Justice: a series on threats to elections
• What We Are Reading: Election Edition, from the Center
Questions about the Center or these resources? Write to crpl@ptstulsa.edu (created with a little help from Claude AI).
Email Trista Soendker Nicholson, executive director of the Center for Religion in Public LIfe, to let her know about someone in the community you've seen practicing faithful disruption.More episodes
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12. Poll Worker Confidential
27:43||Season 2026, Ep. 12On this episode Trista’s guest is Krystal Grizzle, Director of Events and Hospitality at Phillips Theological Seminary and Bedford House. Grizzle, a dedicated poll worker in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, strives to make casting a ballot a good experience for voters. She also shares information on the security of the election process.As always, you can reach Trista at the Center for Religion in Public Life by emailing: crpl@ptstulsa.edu.
11. Hymns and Justice for All
35:17||Season 2026, Ep. 11On this episode Trista’s guest is Stephanie A. Budwey, the Associate Professor of Sacred Music and Dean of the Chapel at Austin Seminary. Budwey's teaching and research focus on the relationships between social justice issues, liturgy, and the arts, particularly in congregational song.A member of the Episcopal Church, she has many years of practical experience having worked in churches of various denominations and contexts as organist and choir director. She currently serves as organist at First Presbyterian Church of Austin.As always, you can reach Trista at the Center for Religion in Public Life by emailing: crpl@ptstulsa.edu.CLICK for Dr. Budwey's comprehensive resource list.
10. Immersion in DC
34:15||Season 2026, Ep. 10Welcome to “Faithful Disruption: Religion in Public Life” with Trista Soendker Nicholson. She is the executive director of the Center for Religion in Public Life at Phillips Theological Seminary.On this episode Trista’s guests are students who were part of an immersion course in the Washington, D.C. area. The seminary’s immersion experiences are a part of the seminary’s regular course offerings. Whether in D.C., on the northern border of Mexico, or Palestine/Israel, these classes provide opportunities for transformation.As always, you can reach Trista at the Center for Religion in Public Life by emailing: crpl@ptstulsa.edu.Explore our degree programs at https://ptstulsa.edu/prospective-students/programs-of-study/.
9. Civics 101
34:00||Season 2026, Ep. 9On this episode of “Faithful Disruption,” Trista’s guest is Jessica Hill. She is a middle school civics teacher in the Kansas City area. She was also the teacher for both of Trista’s children.Jessica is the perfect person to provide a refresher lesson in Civics 101 as we get closer to the November midterm elections.As always, you can reach Trista at the Center for Religion in Public Life by emailing: crpl@ptstulsa.edu.
8. Climate Corruption
25:23||Season 2026, Ep. 8On this episode of “Faithful Disruption,” Trista’s guest is U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. He has represented Rhode Island in the United States Senate since 2007. The senator has a reputation as an advocate for progressive values and a thoughtful legislator capable of reaching across the aisle to achieve bipartisan solutions.Whitehouse has given hundreds of Senate floor speeches about climate change and asserted that politically conservative “dark money” groups are corrupting the federal government to prevent climate action, and other reasons.As always, you can reach Trista at the Center for Religion in Public Life by emailing: crpl@ptstulsa.edu.Image Credit: By United States Senate Photographic Studio - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87990584
7. Churches and Life on the Breadline
48:21||Season 2026, Ep. 7On this episode, Trista’s guest is Chris Shannahan, author of Life on the Breadline: Theology, Poverty and Politics in an Age of Austerity. He is an Associate Professor in Political Theology at Coventry University’s Research Centre for Peace and Security in Coventry, UK.Chris served in a variety of teaching and ministry roles, including as a Methodist Minister in inner-city London and Birmingham and a community organizer. His grassroots experience provided the grounding for his research in urban theology, sociology of religion and diversity studies and the basis of his PhD, within which he developed the first critical analysis of urban theology in the UK.As always, you can reach Trista at the Center for Religion in Public Life by emailing: crpl@ptstulsa.edu.6. Considering Church and State in the U.K. and U.S.
49:24||Season 2026, Ep. 6On this episode of “Faithful Disruption: Religion in Public Life,” our host, Trista Soendker Nicholson, takes us to Cambridge, England for a conversation with Dr. Jonathan Chaplin. They discuss the unique differences and similarities surrounding issues of church and state in the United Kingdom and the United States.Jonathan is a specialist in Christian political theology and a fellow of Wesley House, Cambridge Theological Federation, where he works with the Centre for Faith in Public Life. He is also the author of Beyond Establishment: Resetting Church-State Relations in England published in 2022, and Faith in Democracy: Framing a Politics of Deep Diversity released in 2021.From 2006 to 2017, he was director of the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics in Cambridge, and from 1999 to 2006 he was associate professor of political theory at the Institute of Christian Studies (ICS) in Toronto. He held the Dooyeweerd Chair in Social and Political Philosophy at ICS from 2004 to 2006 and was visiting lecturer in Christian social and political thought at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam from 2007 to 2011.He is a research fellow of the Canadian Christian think-tank Cardus. He also wrote, Herman Dooyeweerd: Christian Philosopher of State and Civil Society (2011). He has edited or co-edited nine other works and published many articles and book chapters in the field.As always, you can reach Trista at the Center for Religion in Public Life by emailing: crpl@ptstulsa.edu. Stay updated by subscribing to our Substack.
5. Community Organizing
39:11||Season 2026, Ep. 5Kelli Driscoll Crews and Emilee Bounds discuss the importance and value of community organizing in this episode of Faithful Disruption with Trista Soendker Nicholson. They share how community organizing isn't just about problems. It's about people connecting and building solutions together.