This week, three pro-choice Christians talk abortion bans. The bad news: we’ve entered the alternate universe of The Handmaid’s Tale. The good news: advocates of reproductive rights are fighting back in the courts, including using the “religious freedom” argument against the pro-lifers. ('Cause not every religion believes that life begins at conception, Allie Beth Stuckey!)

Plus, to lighten the mood, we’re stanning for Ms. Rachel’s advocacy for children, and we’re encouraging EVERY CELEBRITY to follow her example.

(Sign this petition to tell two Florida hospitals that laboring patients should NEVER EVER be forced to have a c-section!)

The articles we discussed:

“New Data Finds 900+ Pregnancy-Related Prosecutions in Three Years Since the Fall of Roe v. Wade,” A Report from Pregnancy Justice

New Data Finds 900+ Pregnancy-Related Prosecutions in Three Years Since Fall of Roe v. Wade | Pregnancy Justice

“Can there be a religious right to abortion?” by Mariel Padilla at the 19th

Can there be a religious right to abortion?

“The Unshakeable Faith of Ms. Rachel” by John Grosso at National Catholic Reporter

The unshakable faith of Ms. Rachel

Support the hosts and guest:

Chelsea Kim Long’s book, Faithfully Dissident Daughters; join her book club; liturgies; upcoming; and instagram

Jeremy Alder’s instagram and upcoming shows

Liz Charlotte Grant’s instagram and book, Knock at the Sky

Additional Credits:

Thanks to Steve Slagg for composing our theme music, Jeremy Grant Design for our branding and cover art, and Joshua Johnson for production and marketing support. We’re part of the Shifting Culture podcast network.

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This week, organizer and musician Andre Henry joins Liz and Jeremy to talk about the surging white Religious Left protest movement against ICE deportation efforts in cities like Minneapolis and Chicago. What makes this moment unique, and how will we sustain the power we’re building for change? (And why didn’t white Christians react the same to BLM? Hint: starts with r-, ends in -ism…)

Plus, we talk about a unique solution one Silicon Valley African American pastor found to the problem of “too much ministry, not enough time”: he made an A.I. chatbot clone of himself. Yes, really. What could go wrong?

The two articles we discussed:

https://religionnews.com/2026/03/22/progressive-faith-leaders-found-new-power-in-protesting-ice-can-their-movement-survive-success/by Yonat Shimron and Jack Jenkins at Religion News Service

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/us/ai-twin-pastor-justin-lester-california-church.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JFE.3PDm.AESSCssES9S1&smid=url-share by Eli Slaslow at New York Times

Support the hosts and guest:

From Christians for Social Action: A guide on “Faith-Rooted Civil Resistance” and “Resources for Nonviolent Civil Resistance” by Andre Henry and Lauren Grubaugh

Andre Henry's book, All The White Friends I Couldn’t Keep (autographed!); music on bandcamp; and instagram

Jeremy Alder’s instagram and upcoming shows

Liz Charlotte Grant’s instagram and book, Knock at the Sky

Additional Credits:

Thanks to Steve Slagg for composing our theme music and Jeremy Grant Design for our branding and cover art. We’re part of the Shifting Culture podcast network.

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Empathy Revolt! is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast Network

Happy Columbus Day to all who celebrate? Oh wait, that’s only MAGA because Columbus was a ACTUALLY colonizer who raped and pillaged indigenous communities in Bahama? Yeah, he’s not our best American ancestor. And Trump’s obsessed with him, having now installed two statues of the pirate explorer in D.C., including on the White House lawn.

So, on this Indigenous Peoples' Day, Liz and Jeremy discuss Columbus’s place in the current American administration with Fr. Joash Thomas, the Canadian anticolonial missiologist, priest, and author of The Justice of Jesus.

Then we giggle and groan about how some evangelicals cannot understand the concept of “fictional,” re: the recent kerfuffle about Greta Gerwig’s Aslan being voiced by (gasp!) Meryl Streep rather than a deep-throated male. Turns out, that’s heresy.

The two articles we discussed:

“A familiar figure, a new voice: Meryl Streep’s Aslan stirs gender debate over Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’” by Peter Smith at AP News

“Fenced on the Eisenhower Lawn and Flowing Again at Union Station, Columbus Became the White House Prop for a 250th Anniversary” by Kyle James Lee at Aegis Alliance (Independent activist news site)

Support the hosts and guest:

Joash Thomas’s book, The Justice of Jesus, and substack, Masala Chai Theology

Jeremy Alder’s instagram and upcoming shows

Liz Charlotte Grant’s instagram and book, Knock at the Sky

Additional Credits:

Thanks to Steve Slagg for composing our theme music and Jeremy Grant Design for our branding and cover art.

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Empathy Revolt! is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast Network

Pastor and author Zach Lambert joins Liz and Jeremy to discuss the midterms, with a close focus on the Texas Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico.
(Or, as Zach calls him, Jimmy! That’s right! They’re friends!) Can Texas really flip any race blue? Or is it all media hype? What makes this year’s race different?

We also discuss the role theology has played in the two campaigns, including the difference between Paxton’s Christian nationalist legal theory and Talarico’s “love thy neighbor” pluralism.

Plus, we get into the recent Vanity Fair feature of Erika Kirk and what it means to extend empathy to someone like her… even when we disagree on ALMOST EVERYTHING.

The two articles we discussed:

“Paxton, Talarico tap contrary versions of God and Christianity in appeal to Texas voters” by Ellie Ashby at the Texas Tribune

“The Widow’s Peak” by Clara Molot at Vanity Fair

Support the hosts and guest:

Zach Lambert’s book, Better Ways to Read the Bible

Jeremy Alder’s upcoming shows

Liz Charlotte Grant’s book, Knock at the Sky

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Empathy Revolt! is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast Network

Meet the co-hosts, Liz Charlotte Grant and Jeremy Alder! We’re political Leftists (socialists?) and also progressive Christians. (Yes, we are walking oxymorons, thanks for noticing!)

This episode, you, the listener, have a chance to “speed date” the hosts in a rapid fire q&a addressing the topics that you wish you could make every pastor answer over email without having to “go out to coffee” to learn that he either hates gay people or thinks women shouldn’t be voting.

We talk favorite/least favorite Republican politicians of our lifetimes, our dream Democratic draft picks for 2028, and which one is the “most godly” political party (according to our evangelical parents). We also talk spiritual upbringings, including weird youth group games, how we still love Jars of Clay, and Jeremy’s mom’s pro-life activism (with a dash of Rush Limbaugh).

AND NO, WE DID NOT VOTE FOR TRUMP, NOT EVEN ONCE.

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Empathy Revolt! is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast Network

On Empathy Revolt!, religion journalist Liz Charlotte Grant and comedian and social worker Jeremy Alder are making empathy great again with their weekly politics show for the Christian Left and their friends. Each week they're joined by a guest (authors, activists, comedians, journalists, faith leaders, and scholars) to unpack one political story and one religious story from the news. It's earnest, irreverent conversation for anyone who still believes loving your neighbor is the point.

Follow Empathy Revolt! anywhere you get your podcasts.

Find Empathy Revolt! on the web

Follow Liz:

Instagram

Follow Jeremy:

Instagram

Empathy Revolt! is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast Network

Find Empathy Revolt! on the web

Follow Liz:

Instagram

Follow Jeremy:

Instagram

Empathy Revolt! is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast Network