In this first part of our conversation, we’re joined by Dr. Michelle Keener, author of Comfort in the Ashes: Explorations in the Book of Job to Support Trauma Survivors.

The Book of Job is often cited in conversations about suffering—but just as often, it’s been used to minimize pain, rush people toward answers, or reinforce harmful ideas about God, blame, and endurance. In Comfort in the Ashes, Dr. Keener offers a different approach: one that reads Job through the lens of trauma, care, and lived human experience.

In Part 1, we focus on foundations:

• How the Book of Job has traditionally been taught—and why those interpretations often fail trauma survivors
• The difference between theological explanation and pastoral care
• Why certainty can feel safer than honesty, even when it causes harm
• How questioning inherited beliefs can be an act of survival, not rebellion

This conversation isn’t about solving suffering or defending doctrine.

It’s about slowing down, listening well, and making room for pain without trying to explain it away.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Michelle Keener is a scholar, writer, and educator whose work centers on biblical interpretation, trauma-informed theology, and care for those harmed by religious systems. Her book Comfort in the Ashes explores how the Book of Job can be reclaimed as a companion for trauma survivors rather than a weapon used against them.

https://www.michellekeener.com/

For all things Deconstructionists: www.thedeconstructionsts.org

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheDeconstructionistsPodcast

Special Music Provided By: Forrest Clay from his Recover EP.

In Part Two of our conversation with John Dominic Crossan and Michael Okinczyc-Cruz, we move from historical foundations to present-day consequences.

Once Jesus is understood within the realities of Roman imperial power, the implications become unavoidable — especially in a moment when Christianity in the United States is increasingly entangled with political authority, violence, and domination.

In this episode, we explore:

• The meaning of the “Kingdom of God” in contrast to imperial power
• Nonviolence, resistance, and the cost of discipleship
• How Christianity shifted from challenging empire to aligning with it
• The difference between domination systems and distributive justice
• Why these ancient tensions feel so familiar today

This isn’t about telling listeners what to believe politically.

It’s about asking whether Christianity still resembles the movement it began as — or whether comfort and power have rewritten the story.

The questions raised in this episode aren’t abstract or theoretical. They echo loudly in today’s debates about nationalism, violence, faith, and identity in the United States.

By grounding the conversation in history, Crossan and Okinczyc-Cruz offer listeners tools — not talking points — to think critically about how faith operates in the real world.

If this episode resonated with you, we encourage you to explore the works linked above and join us for ongoing discussions at www.thedeconstructionsts.org where you can join our Patreon, read our blog, and listen to our entire back catalogue of over 200 episodes!

Special music provide by: Forrest Clay from his Recover EP.

In this episode of The Deconstructionists Podcast, we’re joined by John Dominic Crossan and Michael Okinczyc-Cruz for the first part of a wide-ranging conversation about Jesus, empire, and why historical context matters now more than ever.

As religion, power, and nationalism continue to collide in the United States, this conversation feels remarkably timely — not because it’s reacting to current events, but because it’s rooted deeply in history.

In Part One, we focus on setting the foundation:

• The world of the Roman Empire and how it shaped early Christianity
• Why Jesus must be understood as a first-century Jewish figure under imperial occupation
• What happens when modern readers remove Jesus from his historical context
• Why asking historical questions doesn’t weaken faith — but often deepens it

This episode invites listeners to take the Bible seriously enough to let it challenge modern assumptions about power, violence, and faithfulness.

John Dominic Crossan is one of the most influential New Testament scholars of the last fifty years. A historian of early Christianity and co-founder of the Jesus Seminar, Crossan has written extensively on the historical Jesus, the Roman Empire, and the political implications of early Christian theology.

Michael Okinczyc-Cruz is a scholar whose work focuses on empire, power, and the intersection of theology, politics, and economic systems. His research explores how religious ideas function in real historical and social contexts — especially under conditions of domination.

Together, they bring historical rigor and moral clarity to questions that remain deeply relevant today.

John Dominic Crossan

• Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography
• https://www.harpercollins.com/products/jesus-a-revolutionary-biography-john-dominic-crossan
• The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant
• https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-historical-jesus-john-dominic-crossan
• God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now
• https://www.harpercollins.com/products/god-and-empire-john-dominic-crossan
• How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian
• https://www.harpercollins.com/products/how-to-read-the-bible-and-still-be-a-christian-john-dominic-crossan

Michael Okinczyc-Cruz

• The Politics of Discipleship (with John Dominic Crossan)
• https://www.fortresspress.com/store/productgroup/553/The-Politics-of-Discipleship

Special Music Provided by: Forrest Clay from his Recover EP.

For all things Deconstructionists go to www.thedeconstructionists.org

In this deeply moving conversation, John sits down for part two with Valentyn Syniy, a Ukrainian pastor, theologian, and author whose life and ministry have been profoundly shaped by the reality of war.

This interview was recorded under extraordinary circumstances. Scheduling had to account for the very real possibility of Russian airstrikes and power outages. Valentyn’s wife graciously joined the conversation to assist with translation at moments, helping ensure that everything Valentyn wanted to communicate was conveyed with clarity and care.

Together, we explore:

• What it means to live, pastor, and hold onto faith in the midst of active war
• How violence and trauma test long-held theological assumptions
• The difference between discussing war and surviving it
• Where hope, honesty, and spiritual resilience are found when everything familiar is under siege

Some stories shared in this episode may be difficult to hear, but they are necessary—and deeply human.

Valentyn is the author of God Under Siege, a powerful and unflinching reflection on faith, suffering, and God’s presence amid the devastation of war. Drawing from lived experience rather than distant theology, the book challenges easy answers and invites readers into a more honest, grounded faith.

Get the book:

• Amazon
• Major booksellers
• Wherever books are sold

We’ve just launched a brand new Patreon, and it’s packed with content many of you have been asking for.

Subscribers get access to:

• Brand new exclusive videos on requested topics
• Study guides for deeper reflection and group use
• Reference materials and sources to support further learning
• Behind-the-scenes content and extended conversations

If you value thoughtful, well-researched conversations like this one—and want tools to keep exploring—Patreon is the best way to support the work and dive deeper.

Support: https://patreon.com/TheDeconstructionistsPodcast

👉 Join us on Patreon and help make conversations like this possible.

For all things Deconstructionists check out: www.thedecontructionists.org

In this deeply moving conversation, John sits down with Valentyn Syniy, a Ukrainian pastor, theologian, and author whose life and ministry have been profoundly shaped by the reality of war.

For many of us—especially those who have never served or lived in a war-torn region—war can feel abstract. Something debated from a distance. Should troops be sent? Should they not? But for Valentyn and millions of others, war is not theoretical. It is daily life. It is uncertainty, fear, loss—and for many, hell experienced in the here and now.

This interview was recorded under extraordinary circumstances. Scheduling had to account for the very real possibility of Russian airstrikes and power outages. Valentyn’s wife graciously joined the conversation to assist with translation at moments, helping ensure that everything Valentyn wanted to communicate was conveyed with clarity and care.

Together, we explore:

• What it means to live, pastor, and hold onto faith in the midst of active war
• How violence and trauma test long-held theological assumptions
• The difference between discussing war and surviving it
• Where hope, honesty, and spiritual resilience are found when everything familiar is under siege

Some stories shared in this episode may be difficult to hear, but they are necessary—and deeply human.

Valentyn is the author of God Under Siege, a powerful and unflinching reflection on faith, suffering, and God’s presence amid the devastation of war. Drawing from lived experience rather than distant theology, the book challenges easy answers and invites readers into a more honest, grounded faith.

Get the book:

• Amazon
• Major booksellers
• Wherever books are sold

We’ve just launched a brand new Patreon, and it’s packed with content many of you have been asking for.

Subscribers get access to:

• Brand new exclusive videos on requested topics
• Study guides for deeper reflection and group use
• Reference materials and sources to support further learning
• Behind-the-scenes content and extended conversations

If you value thoughtful, well-researched conversations like this one—and want tools to keep exploring—Patreon is the best way to support the work and dive deeper.

Support: https://patreon.com/TheDeconstructionistsPodcast

👉 Join us on Patreon and help make conversations like this possible.

For all things Deconstructionists check out: www.thedecontructionists.org

This episode steps back and asks a harder question:

What has the church done in moments like this before—and what does faithfulness actually require now?

We begin with church history, tracing how Christians have repeatedly been asked to bless state violence in the name of order and safety. We examine how labels like “criminal,” “terrorist,” and “threat” have historically been used to short-circuit moral responsibility.

We then turn to Scripture—not as proof texts, but as story—allowing the biblical narrative to confront modern assumptions about power, violence, and the stranger.

• Historical patterns of Christian complicity with state violence
• Why labels matter more than we think
• False equivalence arguments (“what about…”)
• Why due process is a moral issue
• Jesus, the stranger, and state power
• Why faith rooted in the margins looks different

• Exodus 22:21
• Leviticus 19:33–34
• Deuteronomy 10:18–19
• Isaiah 1
• Amos 5
• Micah 6:8
• Luke 10:25–37
• Matthew 25:31–46
• Matthew 26:52
• John 18–19
• Romans 12–13 (read together, not selectively)

• Migration Policy Institute — Immigration & Enforcement Analysis
• https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/explainers
• Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse
• https://tracreports.org

Who are we being asked to look away from—and what does that cost our faith?

We’ve just launched a brand new Patreon, and it’s packed with content many of you have been asking for.

Subscribers get access to:

• Brand new exclusive videos on requested topics
• Study guides for deeper reflection and group use
• Reference materials and sources to support further learning
• Behind-the-scenes content and extended conversations

If you value thoughtful, well-researched conversations like this one—and want tools to keep exploring—Patreon is the best way to support the work and dive deeper.

Support: https://patreon.com/TheDeconstructionistsPodcast

👉 Join us on Patreon and help make conversations like this possible.

For all things Deconstructionists check out: www.thedecontructionists.org

Special music provided by Forrest Clay from the Recover EP.

In this episode, we address what’s happening right now in the United States as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations escalate in visibility, intensity, and violence.

This is not a political episode.

It’s a human one.

We examine verified facts, video evidence, and legal realities surrounding recent enforcement actions, including documented cases involving American citizens, the failure to follow established protocols after lethal force, and the growing pattern of intimidation, escalation, and public spectacle.

We also talk about confirmation bias—how fear and identity shape what we’re willing to see—and why Christians and the spiritually curious alike have a responsibility to trust evidence over narratives.

• What ICE can and cannot legally do
• Why due process matters even when immigration law is involved
• The danger of pre-justifying violence
• Confirmation bias and moral shortcuts
• Why “order” is not the same thing as justice
• The role of witnesses, neighbors, and allies

• American Civil Liberties Union — Know Your Rights (Immigrants & Bystanders)
• https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights
• National Lawyers Guild — Legal Observers & Recording Rights
• https://www.nlg.org/legal-observers/
• Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC Immigration)
• Independent reporting on ICE enforcement and immigration court data
• https://tracreports.org/immigration

When fear is loud and authority is visible, how do we decide what we’re willing to accept—and what we’re willing to question?

We’ve just launched a brand new Patreon, and it’s packed with content many of you have been asking for.

Subscribers get access to:

• Brand new exclusive videos on requested topics
• Study guides for deeper reflection and group use
• Reference materials and sources to support further learning
• Behind-the-scenes content and extended conversations

If you value thoughtful, well-researched conversations like this one—and want tools to keep exploring—Patreon is the best way to support the work and dive deeper.

Support: https://patreon.com/TheDeconstructionistsPodcast

👉 Join us on Patreon and help make conversations like this possible.

For all things Deconstructionists check out: www.thedecontructionists.org

Special music provided by Forrest Clay from his Recover EP.