Kwok ’n’ Roll

Asian American Buddhist Women and Emergent Dharma

Dr. Sharon A. Suh is a professor of Religious Studies at Seattle University, a practicing Buddhist, and a yoga teacher. In this episode, she shares why she edited the book Emergent Dharma, inviting Asian American Buddhist scholar-practitioners to share their practices. American Buddhist scholarship has focused on white Buddhist communities. This book intervenes by introducing the lives and practices of Asian American women. Suh has also published Occupy This Body: A Buddhist Memoir, in which she discusses eating disorders, family dynamics, and trauma. She discusses the journey behind writing this moving book. She teaches yoga through a trauma-informed lens, helping women of color reconnect with their bodies. As we face uncertain and anxious times, Suh discusses how Buddhist practices can nurture a spirituality of resilience.

Dr. Sharon A. Suh's books Emergent Dharma and Occupy This Body

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Liberation Theology and the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil

The Right Revd Humberto Maiztegue Goncalves is the bishop of the Meridional Diocese of  in the southern region of Brazil and a professor of the Bible. The Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil is a progressive church that ordains women to the priesthood and welcomes LGBTQ+ people. In this episode, the bishop introduces the history and mission of the church, the influences of liberation theology and decolonization, and the Brazilian Book of Common Prayer published in 2015. He discusses the United Nations’ climate conference COP30, which will be held in Belem, Brazil, in November 2025, as well as his reactions to the changing relationships between Brazil and the U.S. and China. One of the issues the Brazilian church faces is the role of Mary in the Christian faith. The bishop discusses his collaboration with the community in the publication of a book on Mary. He also comments on the proposed changes of Anglican structures to make the Anglican Communion more responsive to our times.

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Queer Theology Is Changing the Global Church — Here's How

Dr. Lisa Isherwood teaches at the University of Wales Trinity and Saint David, and she is a prolific writer and leader on queer theology, feminist theology, and body theology. She and Hugo Córdova Quero coedited the pioneering book The Dare Primer on Global Queer Theologies, with 21 contributors from around the world. In this episode, she shares how this volume came about and her forthcoming book coauthored with Quero, entitled Global Queer Theologies: Intercontextual and Interreligious Perspectives. She discusses the rise of right-wing politics and Christian nationalism in the world and how queer and feminist theologians might address this urgent situation. In a lively exchange, she shares what she has learned from postcolonial theology and her hope for liberative and progressive theologians in the future.

Dr Lisa Isherwood’s The DARE Primer on Global Queer Theologies and Global Queer Theologies: Intercontextual and Interreligious Perspectives

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People’s Movements and Decolonial Theology from Mexico

Dr. Carlos Mendoza-Álvarez, a street theologian in Mexico City, has taught theology in the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico. He discusses how his decolonial theology is informed by the marginalized and the survivors of violence and oppression. As a novice of the Dominican Order, he visited  Chiapas in southern Mexico and learned about the indigenous peoples’ struggles, wisdom, and hope. His decolonial theology brings theologians into dialogue with the voices of the vulnerable and those in the peripheries. His book Resurrection as a Messianic Anticipation discusses eschatological anticipation for the Kingdom of God through the memories and grief of survivors. He also discusses Mexico’s response to the escalating conflicts between the U.S. and Latin American countries. As a seasoned theologian and activist, he shares his hope in the solidarity of the global people’s movements and the importance of learning from the wisdom of survivors in our critical time.

Dr. Carlos Mendoza-Álvarez’s book: Resurrection as a Messianic Anticipation

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Deliberative Democracy against Authoritarianism

Dr. Sharon D. Welch is a scholar and activist and a former Provost of the Unitarian Universalist’s Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. A seasoned activist, she was involved in the women’s movement, peace movement, and direct activism for decades. She has worked with the Chicago League of Women Voters, the Social Enterprise Alliance, and the Community-Based Learning Collaborative, among other organizations. In this episode, she discusses what she has learned from Indigenous leaders such as Carol Lee Sanchez and Robin Wall Kimmerer, Hong Kong lawyer and democracy fighter Benny Y. T. Tai, social scientist Stanley Deetz, and Unitarian Universalist pastor Joseph Santos Lyons about social transformation, deliberative or generative democracy, and quiet generators of liberation. She offers advice to activists and scholars of the upcoming generation as they prepare to lead us into the future.

Dr. Sharon Welch’s book: After the Protests Are Heard

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Race, Politics, and God: The Future of Political Theology

Dr. Vincent Lloyd is a professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University. He researches and teaches about the philosophy of religion, religion and politics, and race. In this episode, he discusses his two forthcoming books: Political Theology Reimagined and What Is Political Theology? While political theology in the past has engaged with the works of Carl Schmitt, Giorgio Agamben, and Jacques Derrida, cutting-edge scholarship in the field employs queer theory, critical race theory, and decolonial theory, etc. Lloyd explores the intersection between political theology and Black theology and discusses the book on race that he is co-authoring with Jonathan Tran. Pope Leo is a famous alum of Villanova University. Lloyd shares his hopes for the new Pope and how political theology can deepen our understanding of the relationship between religion and politics, contributing to the pursuit of justice.

Dr. Vincent Lloyd’s books: Political Theology Reimagined and What Is Political Theology?

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What Will the Actual Jesus Do in Our Time

Dr. Tina Pippin teaches the Bible and Religion at Agnes Scott College, a women’s college in Decatur, Georgia, USA, and she will be the president of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2026. In this episode, she discusses her new book The Actual Jesus, which investigates the portrayals of Jesus in films, novels, popular media, and AI. She recalls her training in biblical studies as a graduate student in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary before its takeover by the fundamentalists and the development of Jesus research in the past few decades. The field of biblical studies has greatly expanded with the addition of women, racial and ethnic minorities, formerly colonized people, and LGBTQ persons. She offers examples of her pedagogy relating the Bible to global affairs and social concerns in her community. She also discusses her hope for future biblical scholarship.

Dr. Tina Pippin’s book The Actual Jesus

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How I Composed Liturgical Music for Pope Francis in the US Holy Mass

Dr. Antonio Alonso is the Director of Catholic Studies at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He composed the responsorial psalm for the first Mass Pope Francis celebrated in the U.S. in 2015. A Latin Grammy-nominated composer, he discusses the difference between composing liturgical music versus secular music. He began writing music as a teenager and is the author of over 200 published compositions and arrangements. He reflects on Pope Francis’ legacy and his hopes for Pope Leo as the first pope from the U.S. Dr. Alonso is also an award-winning scholar, whose works focus on worship and ritual practices. He discusses his book Commodified Communion: Eucharist, Consumer Culture, and the Practice of the Everyday Life and is working on a second book on changes in material Catholicism in the wake of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

Dr. Antonio Alonso’s book: Commodified Communion

Pope Francis in US Holy Mass

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