In this wide-ranging conversation, Mike Morrell reflects on the political and cultural aftershocks of the 2016 US election, the rise of populism, and what it means to build a more compassionate future in a time of division. He shares a powerful vision for “the third way” — a deeper, more relational path that moves beyond binary thinking and toward bridge-building, wisdom, and transformation.Mike also explores the spiritual and anthropological roots of human civilization, drawing from hunter-gatherer history, the rise of agriculture, and the biblical imagination to make sense of alienation, empire, and the human longing for belonging. Along the way, he discusses Trinitarian spirituality, contemplative practice, indigenous wisdom, permaculture, community life, and the role of authentic relating in healing isolation.This episode is a thoughtful, challenging, and hopeful invitation to rethink progress, spirituality, and what mature humanity might look like.

Show Notes:Mike Morrell - https://mikemorrell.org/

Mike spoke of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff: https://ggurdjieff.com/ and Shane Claiborne - https://www.shaneclaiborne.com/

Some of the communities mentioned were:

The Simple Way Community - https://thesimpleway.org/

Earth Haven - https://earth-haven.com/

The Mankind Project - https://mankindproject.org and Women Within - https://www.womanwithin.org/

Matt & Lucas - https://www.facebook.com/beyondering

Beyondering - http://www.beyondering.com.au/

This episode of the Beyondering Podcast might just save the world…Matt and Lucas are joined by two special guests as they break through the earthy-crust of eco-theology and explore the connection between spirituality, our faith and the environment.

Our first guest is Fred Plumer, head of the Progressive Christianity organisation from the USA. Our second guest is Michael Dowd, whose book, Thank God for Evolution, was endorsed by 6 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, noted skeptics, and by religious leaders across varying theological spectrums.

Dowd has a tremendous passion for proclaiming a pro-science message about our sacred responsibility to the earth for future generations.

Contributors to Episode Five include:

Joel McKerrow – One Planet (used with permission)

Check out www.joelmckerrow.com

Cam Semmens – Cliff Top Sunset (used with permission)Check out www.webcameron.com

Beyondering, Faith and Beryl Theme music created at Got Fink Studios by Caleb Garfinkel. Check out www.gotfink.com

Beyondering is supported by:

• The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria – Join the network, find resources and learn about upcoming events
• And Common Dreams: An alliance of religious progressives in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

To find out more and to join our mailing list at our website

Join the conversation www.facebook.com/beyondering

Follow @gobeyondering

Beyond Fred Plumer and Michael Dowd:

To go deeper, check out: Thomas Berry – particularly Dream of the Earth and The Great Work

William Ophuls – Immoderate Greatness: Why Civilizations Fail

John Michael Greer – Collapse Now and Avoid the Rush

William R Catton Jnr – Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Evolutionary Change * (In Dowd’s view the most important book in print today)

Joanna Macey – Active Hope

Richard Hindberg – Afterburn: Society Beyond Fossil Fuels

Join us for an enlightening and entertaining conversation with renowned New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine as we explore the Jewish roots of Jesus, the evolution of Christian and Jewish traditions, and the importance of contextual understanding in faith. Discover how embracing diversity in interpretation can deepen our faith and foster respectful dialogue.

The Jewish Annotated New TestamentAmerican Academy of Religion Conference Society of Biblical Literature -

Amy-Jill Levine - Facebook

Matt & Lucas - Facebook

Beyondering - Website

Is it possible we actually need some saving … from our ideas about salvation?

Is sin really something you’re born into? Has there been a defect in human manufacturing?

Is salvation really handed out on the basis of agreeing with certain theological propositions?

Is there really a cosmic balance sheet – satisfied only by the death of God’s son?

Is there another way to see salvation other than a ticket to heaven?

Join Matt and Lucas as they speak with the sometimes controversial, always passionate and fascinating Bishop John Shelby Spong.

Contributors to Episode Five include:

Dylan Joel – ‘Hope Is’ (used with permission)

From Authentic Lemonade (2015), Its Official Music Pty Limited/Warner Music Australia Pty Limited. Distributed by Warner Music Australia Pty Limited.

Beyondering, Faith and Beryl Theme music created at Got Fink Studios by Caleb Garfinkel.

Beyondering is supported by:

• The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria – Join the network, find resources and learn about upcoming events
• And Common Dreams: An alliance of religious progressives in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Learn more about Beyondering through our website where you can join our mailing list

Join the conversation www.facebook.com/beyondering

Follow @gobeyondering

Can that dusty old leather bound set of scriptures speak any truth into today’s globalised, digitalised, super-sized world? Our sacred texts have come to be so many diverse things, from literal truth to a collection of wisdom.

From God’s very words transcribed to humans, to humanity’s attempt to describe the wordless. How we see it matters, for it will determine how we use it (and abuse it), and whether we allow it to have transformative power.

Let one of the world’s leading Hebrew Bible scholars, Walter Brueggemann, and the Rev. Dr Merryl Blair re-open the scriptures for us.

To find out more about Walter Brueggemann, check out: www.walterbrueggemann.com

Merryl Blair was the Senior Lecturer in the Hebrew Bible at Stirling Theological College.

Contributors to Episode Four include:

Cam Semmens – Inquisitions of a Theologaster… Faith and Fact (used with permission). Check out www.webcameron.com

Heatherlyn – ‘Put on Your Climbing Shoes’ (used with permission). Check out www.heatherlynmusic.com

Beyondering, Faith and Beryl Theme music created at Got Fink Studios by Caleb Garfinkel. Check out www.gotfink.com

Beyondering is supported by:

• The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria – Join the network, find resources and learn about upcoming events
• And Common Dreams: An alliance of religious progressives in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Join our mailing list at www.beyondering.com.au

Join the conversation www.facebook.com/beyondering

Follow @gobeyondering

Everyone else is wrong – its MY idea of God that is closest to the truth, right?!

This week we are exploring the question of whether or not there is only one way to God. To help us come at this huge topic we have enlisted the help of not one, but two of the brightest and best in the country: Dave Andrews and Val Webb.

Yes – maybe everyone else is wrong … but maybe we are too …

To find out more about Dave Andrews, check out: http://www.daveandrews.com.au or http://wecan.be

To find out more about Val Webb, check out: http://www.valwebb.com.au

Contributors to Episode Three include: Joel McKerrow – God (used with permission)

Check out www.joelmckerrow.com

Heatherlyn – Peace On Earth (used with permission). Check out www.heatherlynmusic.com

Beyondering Theme music created at Got Fink Studios by Caleb Garfinkel. Check out http://www.gotfink.com/

Beyondering is supported by:

• The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria – Join the network, find resources and learn about upcoming events
• Common Dreams: An alliance of religious progressives in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Join our mailing list at www.beyondering.com.au

Join the conversation https://www.facebook.com/beyondering

Follow @gobeyondering

Chances are if you are a “justice-y” type and are on social media in Australia you have probably liked or shared something Jarrod McKenna has posted. If not, let us introduce you to this amazing man.To find out more about (and perhaps get involved with) projects that Jarrod is involved in, check out: First Home Project: here, and here. Love Makes A Way (#LoveMakesAWay) here or here Common Grace (not spoken about in this episode): here.

Beyond Jarrod: We asked Jarrod who he would point us to, whose voices would he suggest could further draw us out and stretch our perspective. His first response was wise and typically on-point: “Who are those that you are in conflict with? Those we are in conflict with can be our greatest teachers. Who are those in our circle that we would otherwise wish to ignore?”

He then went on to suggest people look up the following:David Bentley Hart – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bentley_HartJames H. Cone (recent publication The Cross and the Lynching Tree) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Cone Ben Myers – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Myers Miriam Dale – https://www.facebook.com/MiriamDaleWritings Geoff Broughton – http://www.amazon.com/Restorative-Christ-Jesus-Justice-Discipleship/dp/1625640528

Beyondering Theme music created at Got Fink Studios by Caleb Garfinkel

Beyondering is supported by:

• The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria – Join the network, find resources and learn about upcoming events
• And Common Dreams: An alliance of religious progressives in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Join our mailing list at www.beyondering.com.au

Join the conversation https://www.facebook.com/beyondering

Follow @gobeyondering