The Word is Resistance podcast

From January 2017 to December 2023, “The Word Is Resistance” was a weekly podcast from SURJ-Faith by white anti-racist Christians based on the Christian lectionary, offering an anti-racist Word for other white Christians — though all are welcome to check it out.

Listen on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Stitcher, TuneIn, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Our latest podcast

About the Podcast

What do our sacred texts have to teach us about living, surviving, even thriving, in the context of empire, tyranny, violence, repression – the times in which we are living today?  What do they have to teach us, as white folks, about our role in resistance, in showing up, in liberation? They teach us this:

Our traditions were made for these times. They come from these times. We have resources in our texts, our practices, to help us right now. We can reclaim our stories and re-tell them to nourish our resistance against white supremacy and our work for collective liberation.

A weekly offering from 2017 – 2023, the team of over 20 different white Christian contributors explored the Christian lectionary for tools of resistance, with a weekly call to action that connected sacred texts to sacred moments of resistance.

More Resources

Podcast Resources:

Previous “The Word is Resistance” Episodes and Transcripts

Episode 41:  The Call
1.14.18. Transcript here.
Special Episode:  The Snatch Back
1.8.18 SURJ-Faith webinar recording with Soulforce. No transcript available.
Episode 42:  Follow the Star
1.21.18. Transcript here.
Episode 43:  Healing as Civil Disobedience
2.4.18. Transcript here.
Episode 44:  Special Lent Episode:  That Same Spirit
2.18.18.  Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 45:  Special Lent Episode:  Whose Temple
3.4.18.  Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 46:  Special Lent Episode:  It's Personal
3.11.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 47:  Special Lent Episode:  The Coming Day
3.18.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 48:  Special Lent Episode:  The Most Devious and Damaging Lie
3.25.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 49:  Special Lent Episode:  Holy Week: We Are Tired of Grieving
3.29.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 50:  Easter: Mary Magdalene's Grief
4.1.18. Transcript here. Episode 52:  Thomas: Observer Trainings, Security Culture, and Abolitionist Politics
4.8.18. Transcript here. (Episode 52 and 51 posted on Soundcloud out of order due to technical issues)
Episode 51:  Bodies Matter
4.15.18. Transcript here.
Episode 53:  Whose Are You?
4.22.18. Transcript here.
Episode 54:  They Already Knew They Were Sacred
4.29.18. Transcript here.
Episode 55:  Showing Up When No One Is Watching
5.6.18. Transcript here.
Episode 56:  Southland in the Springtime
5.13.18. Transcript here.
Episode 57:  Pentecost and the Skill of Transcendence
5.20.18. Transcript here.
Episode 58:  Burning Lips:  Meeting Isaiah after Pentecost
5.27.18. Transcript here.
Episode 59:  Wising Up to Power
6.10.18. Transcript here.
Episode 60:  Throwing Stones
6.24.18. Transcript here.
Episode 161:  Trust God, Not Dividends: Let's Talk about Money
9.20.20. Transcript here.
Episode 162:  Moving Towards the Promised Land
9.27.20. Transcript here.
Episode 163:  The White Supremacy Covenant Sucks
10.4.20. Transcript here.
Episode 164:  Proper Attire and Imprecations
10.11.20. Transcript here.
Episode 165:  Freedom and Intimacy
10.18.20. Transcript here.
Episode 166:  Some Of Us Did Not Die
10.25.20. Transcript here.
Episode 167:  River Crossing
11.1.20. Transcript here.
Episode 168:  Voice of the Past Calling Us Forward
11.8.20. Transcript here.
Episode 169:  Stir-Up Sunday
11.22.20. Transcript here.
Episode 170:  #AbolitionAdvent:  Tear Open the Heavens
11.29.20. Transcript here.
Episode 171:  #AbolitionAdvent:  Demolition Time
12.6.20. Transcript here.
Episode 172:  #AbolitionAdvent:  In the Midst of Ruin, the Longing
12.13.20. Transcript here.
Episode 173:  #AbolitionAdvent: Turning the World Around, Starting With Ourselves
12.20.20. Transcript here.
Episode 174:  I'm With You. I Need You.
12.25.20. Transcript here.
Episode 175:  The Antidote To Terror Is Community
1.10.21. Transcript here.
Episode 176:  Love For President
1.17.21. Transcript here.
Episode 177:  Claiming the Good News:  Together, We Can End White Nationalism
1.24.21. Transcript here.
Episode 178:  The Urgency of Healing
2.7.21. Transcript here.
Episode 179:  Signposts in the Wilderness: Lent Self-Reflection(Ash Wednesday)
2.17.21. Transcript here.
Episode 180:  Signposts in the Wilderness: Wisdom In the Wilderness
2.21.21. Transcript here.
2.28.21. Transcript here.
3.7.21. Transcript here.
3.14.21. Transcript here.
3.21.21. Transcript here.
3.28.21. Transcript here.
4.2.21. Transcript here.
4.4.21. Transcript here.
4.11.21. Transcript here.
4.18.21. Transcript here.
4.25.21. Transcript here
5.2.21. Transcript here
5.9.21. Transcript here
5.20.21. Transcript here.
5.23.21. Transcript here.
6.6.21. Transcript here.
1.16.22. Transcript here.
1.23.22. Transcript here.
1.30.22.  Transcript here.
2.6.22.  Transcript here.
2.13.22.  Transcript here.
2.20.22. Transcript here.
2.27.22. Transcript here.
3.13.22.  Transcript here.
3.20.22. Transcript here.
3.27.22. Transcript here.
4.10.22.  Transcript here.
4.15.22. Transcript here.
4.17.22. Transcript here.
4.24.22. Transcript here.
5.22.22. Transcript here.
6.12.22. Transcript here.
6.19.22. Transcript here.
6.26.22. Transcript here.
9.18.22. Transcript here.
9.25.22. Transcript here.
10.9.22. Transcript here.
10.30.22. Transcript here.
11.6.22. Transcript here.
11.13.22.  Transcript here.
11.20.22. Transcript here.
4.23.23.  Transcript here.
5.14.23. Transcript here.
5.21.23. Transcript here.
5.28.23. Transcript here.
6.8.23.  Transcript here.
6.11.23. Transcript here.
6.18.23.  Transcript here.
6.25.23. Transcript here.
7.16.23. Transcript here.
7.23.23.  Transcript here.
7.30.23.  Transcript here.
8.6.23.  Transcript here.
8.13.23.  Transcript here.
8.20.23.  Transcript here.
8.27.23.  Transcript here.
9.3.23.  Transcript here.
7.2.23. Transcript here. (note: episode for Pentecost 5A posted late in series)
9.10.23. Transcript here.

Unless otherwise stated, scripture quotations for the podcast are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Revised Common Lectionary, Copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission.

With immense thanks to all our teachers, and to Zahara Zahav for the brilliant name for this series.

“We Are Building Up a New Word,” tune public domain, lyrics by Dr. Vincent Harding, used with permission of the Freeney-Harding family.  Sung at NoEnemies movement choir practice, Denver, CO, December 7, 2014.

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