Monks and Punks

Was Jesus Gay?Andrew Springer — Post-Christian thinker, co-founder of NOTICE News, and writer of The Jesus Movement newsletter — joins Monks and Punks for a fearless conversation about Jesus, history, and the narratives institutions have fought to control.How did a prophet of radical peace become a figure invoked in the service of violence and state power? And what happens when controversial scholarship resurfaces — including the work of Columbia historian Morton Smith, who reported discovering a letter describing a “Secret Gospel of Mark,” interpreted by some as suggesting an intimate, possibly erotic dimension to Jesus’ relationships, and rejected by others as disputed or inauthentic?Beneath the controversy lies a deeper question: Who shapes the historical memory of Jesus — and to what end?Springer brings the perspective of a veteran news executive turned religious critic, helping us examine whether recovering the disruptive edges of Jesus might unsettle the alliances between religion, nationalism, and coercive power.Expect a rigorous, provocative, and wide-ranging dialogue.

More Than a Myth: A Brain-Stimulating Look at the Historical JesusMonks and Punks host Sander Hicks, joined by co-monk Luisa Giugliano, sits down with John J. Thatamanil—one of the most incisive theologians working today—for a sharp, accessible conversation on the historical Jesus.We explore Jesus as a movement figure, not a mythic abstraction—and why that matters now. The conversation ranges from Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus and the Disinherited (Howard Thurman) to Paul Tillich, liberation theology, and the moral stakes of faith in an age of empire, violence, and institutional collapse.
Thatamanil brings deep scholarship without jargon. The result is a genuine brain-stimulator for anyone serious about spirituality, justice, or history.Thatamanil is a former president of the North American Paul Tillich Society and the founding chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Theological Education Committee. He teaches at Union Theological Seminary and lectures widely in churches, colleges, and universities.
Listen here:
https://shows.acast.com/monks-and-punks/episodes/more-than-a-myth-a-brain-stimulating-look-at-the-historicalHear Rev. Dr. John J. Thatamanil live—beyond the podcast—at the following event in NYC and on Zoom:LIVE EVENT — February 22Let Us Stand With Jesus Against Violent Power A half-day micro-conference rooted in the radical tradition of the historical Jesus, convened in the spirit of Friends.Jesus did not found an empire-friendly religion.
He launched a poor people’s movement grounded in nonviolence, truth-telling, solidarity with the oppressed, and resistance to imperial power.That fire has been dimmed by institutions that bless war, nationalism, and state violence in his name.
This gathering asks a direct question:What would it mean now to stand with Jesus against violent power—not symbolically, but practically and collectively?
Together we will:* Examine Christianity’s entanglement with empire* Reclaim Jesus as a nonviolent movement leader* Explore how faith communities can organize with moral clarity amid genocide, militarism, and eroding credibility
Speakers* Rev. Dr. John J. Thatamanil (Union Theological Seminary)* Amanda Daloisio (Catholic Worker)* Marah Sarji, Palestinian feminist liberation theologian, Christians for a Free Palestine
Short talks. Q&A. Small-group discussion. Activist sharing.
Sunday, February 22 | 1–4 PM
Free (NYC + Zoom)
Complimentary Middle Eastern lunch at 12:30 PMLocation
15 Rutherford Place, NYC 10003
15th Street Monthly Meeting (Quakers)Sponsored by the Speaker Events Committee
Please RSVP:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/let-us-stand-with-jesus-against-violent-power-tickets-1980704296871?aff=oddtdtcreator

Christian Celeste Tate a/k/a “CCT!” is an anti-poverty activist, and Mamdani campaign field leader. He is the fresh new energy badly needed in AD54. CCT is a DSA-endorsed progressive Democratic Socialist candidate taking on the big money real estate interests as represented by Assemblymember Erik Dilan. In this interview, we cover the key issues of affordability for NYC. With the “volunteer army” of DSA, CCT is sure to be a potent challenge to the status quo.In this extended interview, CCT lays out a clear vision for what real representation in AD54 should look like—one rooted in community needs, not developer influence. He discusses the economic pressures driving displacement, the structural inequality families face, and why affordable housing is the defining issue of the district. CCT connects his personal background, his organizing work, and his anti-poverty activism to the broader political movement reshaping New York City.We also break down the dynamics of running against Erik Dilan, a long-time incumbent backed by real estate interests. CCT speaks candidly about voter outreach, diversity within the district, and the lessons organizers learned from the Mamdani campaign. From East New York to Bushwick, he outlines a strategy centered on direct engagement, multilingual outreach, and the consistent presence that residents have been demanding for years.This conversation goes deeper than a typical political interview. It highlights how DSA campaigns are powered by grassroots volunteers, mutual aid energy, and a shared belief in transforming local politics. CCT explains why democratic socialism resonates in working-class communities, why investment in housing and public safety must be community-driven, and how structural fairness—not charity—is the foundation for long-term change.For viewers who care about affordability, housing justice, immigrant rights, and progressive political organizing, this interview offers a grounded and realistic look at what it takes to challenge entrenched power in New York.Get Involved with this Campaign!https://www.cct4nyc.com/

Sander and Sophie have a good chat with Professor Linda Rabben, an activist anthropologist who writes about sanctuary and human rights movements. Meet and hear Linda and other great immigration rights activists this Sunday, 9/28, at a free event at the Quaker Meetinghouse, 1-4 PM.Author, anthropologist and human rights activist, Linda Rabben is the author of Sanctuary and Asylum: A Social and Political History, My Brazil: Reports from the Interior, Journeywoman: A Writer’s Story, and other books and articles on human rights and related subjects. She has written and published poems for more than 50 years. Since 2015 she has been an associate research professor of anthropology at the University of Maryland.

Join us on Monks and Punks as we sit down with Dr. Sophie Gonick to discuss immigrant rights, sanctuary, and human rights in New York City. From historical Quaker traditions of sanctuary to modern grassroots activism, this conversation dives deep into the challenges and opportunities faced by immigrants in today’s political climate.Learn about the September 28th free event in Manhattan featuring experts like Professor Linda Rabben, Nuala O'Doherty-Naranjo, Alexa Aviles, and Ravi Ragbir, and discover how you can get involved in supporting immigrant communities.

Sander and Sophie cohost the episode and talk to their friend Ted Hamm about his insiders take on future NY Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and the Democratic Socialist politics on the verge of historically winning the Mayoralty in New York City.

Sander Hicks makes the case Against Assemblymember Erik DilanA Hard Look at His Record Might Inspire Someone to Primary HimFor the people of Assembly District 54, the option to re-elect Erik Dilan to the Assembly, in the Primary this June of 2026, is an opportunity to look carefully at his record. If we do, we will choose instead to create something bold and new.Sander Hicks reports on the affordable housing scandal that Dilan was involved in, and ties it to a larger scandal where $2.5 million was stolen from NYC affordable housing programs.

Aharon Dardik is a passionate philosophy and political science double major at Columbia University. He is an Israeli-American ex-settler, conscientious objector to the Israeli military, and nonviolent activist in the student movement against war and genocide.Fresh from his appearance on Democracy Now, and his arrest at the gates of Columbia University, Aharon Dardik is emerging as a student protest leader, a voice for nonviolence, and Gandhian peaceful confrontation against the forces of genocide. Aharon will also return to speak this Summer at Sander's Peaceful Lake activist retreat. www.nonviolence.works.