Reverends “Don’t Shy Away” from Religion and Politics
by WGBH Staff
89.7 WGBH Boston Public Radio culture commentators, Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price, have gone national with the launch of their brand-new podcast All Rev’d Up. The bi-weekly podcast, which launched on July 10, offers the Revs’ trademark smart and spirited discussion around issues of race, faith and culture. Some of the topics covered this season: Sen. Kamala Harris and “blackness,” Netflix drama series When They See Us, a conversation with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and so much more. Listen here or through your favorite podcast app.
Your podcast bills itself as “where faith intersects with politics and culture.” What does that mean to you?
IM: By talking and reporting about religion in the news, I aim to highlight how religious intolerance and fundamentalism not only shatter the goals of American democracy, but also aid in perpetuating other forms of oppression such as racism, sexism, classism and anti-Semitism, to name a few.
EP: For many generations there have been two things that everyday people shy away from talking about: politics and religion. We have taken that as our challenge to demonstrate how we, as very different people representing different black faith traditions, different coasts, different generations and different genders can have intelligent conversations at the cross-sections of life. We disagree on a lot of topics, themes and things, but my aim is to disagree without being disagreeable.
Did you feel that this kind of podcast was missing?
IM: Yes. Conversations at the intersection of faith, race, religion, and culture aren’t happening because faith and religion are buzzwords and off-putting, especially to younger generations.
These frank, one-on-one conversations touch on the pressing issues in our world today to challenge and deepen thinking on every side of every important question: the increasing politicization of faith, the perceived gulf between science and religion, the tension between tolerance and free expression, the frequent occurrence of sectarian violence, the expressions of faith in pop culture and more.
You both are accomplished writers, lecturers and contributors to radio and TV programs. What does the podcast medium allow you to do that’s different from your other work?
IM: A podcast reaches a wide and diverse demographic of people. When my columns went from print in a local LGBTQ paper to the Internet, I reached people in rural areas, those still closeted, religious allies, progressive atheists, and LGBTQ youth trying to find their way. In the fast-paced, multitasking world we live in, you don’t have to set a specific time to listen. All you have to do is go find All Rev’d Up on your favorite podcast platform, and we have an episode waiting for you.
EP: We are both preachers, public speakers, scholars, and authors, and both of us have unique personalities that somehow gel. What a gift and an opportunity.
Who is your dream podcast guest?
IM: The Rev. Dr. William Barber II. He appeared on Boston Public Radio with Jim and Margery immediately after his Democratic National Convention speech [in 2016]. Barber led regular “Moral Mondays” civil-rights protests in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has since launched a new Poor People’s Campaign.
EP: I would love to chat with former First Lady Michelle Obama. I would love to see Irene go toe-to-toe with President Donald Trump.
Listen to All Rev'd Up here or through your favorite podcast app.