In this episode, Kate explores the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as a valuable framework for reading and interpreting scripture. This approach offers a more balanced and holistic way to engage with the Bible, especially for those who are deconstructing or reconstructing their faith. Kate shares how this framework has transformed her own relationship with scripture, providing a more nuanced understanding that honors both the text and our lived experiences.

Topics Covered:

* The four components of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience

* How Scripture can be a primary authority without being the sole authority

* Why acknowledging our traditions (whether formal or informal) enhances our biblical understanding

* The importance of bringing reason, critical thinking, and modern knowledge to our reading

* How personal and communal experiences enrich our interpretation of texts

Timestamps:

00:29 Exploring the Wesleyan Quadrilateral

03:07 Scripture: The Primary Source

05:58 Tradition: Learning from the Past

12:01 Reason: Embracing Critical Thinking

17:05 Experience: Personal and Communal Insights

21:27 Applying the Wesleyan Quadrilateral

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, host Kate Boyd is joined by Trey Ferguson and Robert Monson from the Three Black Men crew for a thoughtful conversation about white supremacy in deconstruction spaces. They explore how patterns of white supremacy continue to manifest even after people leave conservative religious environments, and discuss practical ways to build more liberative communities. Let’s examine how these patterns affect our interactions and envision a world beyond the current systems.

Topics Covered:

* How white supremacy manifests in deconstruction spaces, often appearing as simply "an exchange of certainties"

* The tendency to platform and center white voices even in progressive spaces

* Practical steps toward dismantling white supremacy, including diversifying whose voices we listen to

* The importance of being in community with people who experience the world differently

* Moving beyond resistance to envisioning and creating a world beyond white supremacy

About Our Guests:

Trey Ferguson is a Miami-Dade County based minister, writer, and podcaster, and the creator of the New Living Translation, the author of Theologizin’ Bigger, and pastor of Intention Church.

Robert Monson is a PhD student, co-director of enfleshed, and host of Black Coffee and Theology. He writes and studies theology- usually at the intersection of disability, soft masculinity, as well as black and womanist theology, and composes and plays music.

Content Warning: Sexual assault, violence

Power, betrayal, and justice collide as David’s reign looks like it’s unraveling, and as he grasps for allies, we see just how far some will go to keep what they believe to be theirs.

Join us to explore how systems of power perpetuate cycles of harm — as in the case of Mephibosheth and the women left behind — and how empires shape the people within them (intentionally and unintentionally).

And how do the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount offer us an alternative pattern to follow?

Timestamps:

01:46 Recap of Mephibosheth and Ziba

03:42 David's Encounter with Shimei

04:29 Absalom's Strategy and Betrayal

05:33 Reflections on Justice and Injustice

14:25 The Cycle of Harm and Power

30:29 The Role of Disabled People in Scripture

36:18 Takeaways