The Leader’s Way

39: The Salem Witch Trials with Ken Minkema

This special Halloween episode focuses on the Salem witch trials with a focus on what church leaders can learn from this period of history. Dr. Kenneth Minkema—Executive Editor of The Works of Jonathan Edwards and of the Jonathan Edwards Center & Online Archive at Yale University—teaches us about the witch trials in New England, highlighting their religious and social contexts, the dynamics of fear and accusation, and the lasting impact on American culture. The episode explores the complexities of Puritan beliefs, the role of fear and control in the witch hunts, and reflections on how these historical events relate to contemporary issues that church leaders face daily of fear, control, and othering.
 
 
Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black
 
Guest: Ken Minkema
 
Production: Goodchild Media
 
Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast
 
berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast

38: The Leader's Way

Brandon and Hannah chat about why the podcast is called The Leader’s Way. We hear Brandon’s definition of leadership and talk about the courage, vulnerability, and commitment required of leaders. We hear Brandon’s vocation story and reflect on the work we do, offering continuing education to church leaders.

37: Jesus and Empire with William Barber

In part 2 of our recording with a live studio audience, Bishop Barber breaks down how spiritual leaders are either prophets of the kingdom or chaplains to empire. He takes questions from the audience about the relationship between Episcopal tradition and moral demands, interfaith leadership, and leadership amid the military-industrial complex.
Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black
Guest: William Barber
Production: Goodchild Media
berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast

36: Moral Leadership and Political Engagement with William Barber

The Rev. Dr. William Barber joined us at the Berkeley Center with a live studio audience for this episode of The Leader's Way Podcast, which will be released in 2 parts. Barber tells his vocation story and explains how morality is the key to nonpartisan spiritual leadership in politics. He talks about the "least of these" as a central part of moral engagement in politics and takes us inside a UN conversation about poverty.
 
Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black
Guest: William Barber Singer: Yara Allen
Filmed/Edited: Goodchild Media
 
berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast
Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast

35: A Better Way at the National Cathedral with Randy Hollerith

The Very Rev’d Randy Hollerith, Dean of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, joins us as we continue thinking about leading churches through especially political times. He talks about the church’s role as being a voice for the “better way”: the promotion of values like unity and love in contrast to what we often see in the world around us. He talks about the cathedral’s role in politics as one of convening conversation and creating space for prayer and reflection.

34: Golden Retriever Games

A rare mostly unserious episode amid serious times: Brandon and Hannah take a moment one year into the show to reflect on past episodes and celebrate the new podcast art and music. We play the inaugural Golden Retriever Games: “Taylor or Dante?” and “The Question Game.”

33: Spiritual Formation and Politics with Kaitlyn Schiess

Kaitlyn Schiess is an author (The Liturgy of Politics and The Ballot and the Bible) and podcaster (The Holy Post and Curiously, Kaitlyn). She joins us to talk about leadership during an election season and how spiritual formation is at the heart of our political engagement. We talk about everything from how to talk about politics at Thanksgiving dinner to how to preach when politics are involved.

32: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story with Richard and Christopher Hays

Father and son Richard and Christopher Hays discuss their new book The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story. This book seeks to take the Bible seriously by taking more of the Bible seriously. These authors do not focus solely on the prooftexts that have been used to deny LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the church, nor do they try to write them off. In this book, New Testament professor Richard Hays and Old Testament professor Christopher Hays provide a fresh map through the Bible that tells the story of a God of mercy and a sexual ethic of inclusion. We talk about their reason for writing this book, the metanoia of Richard’s viewpoint since 1996, some of the passages at play, and what happens next.