In this episode of the TCT Book Club, Jason Coker welcomes Dr. David Gushee, one of the leading Christian ethicists of our time, to discuss his newest work, The Moral Teachings of Jesus: Radical Instruction in the Will of God. Together, they explore what it means to move beyond abstract doctrine and political identity to embrace the concrete moral transformation Jesus invites us into.

The conversation takes a deep dive into the practice of prayer for those reconstructing their faith, the reclaiming of Kingdom of God language from Christian Nationalism, and how to approach Biblical interpretation not as a search for certainty, but as a pilgrimage of trust. Dr. Gushee shares insights on loving enemies, the Sermon on the Mount, and the importance of viewing the church as a community of journeyers.

Dr. David Gushee is the Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University and Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is the author or editor of more than 25 books, including Changing Our Mind and After Evangelicalism. As a scholar and activist, he has spent decades helping the church think with greater clarity, courage, and compassion about following Jesus in the modern world.

Learn More:

For more on Dr. Gushee’s work, visit davidpgushee.com.

Get the book: The Moral Teachings of Jesus on Amazon Here

The Collective Table is a production of The Oceanside Sanctuary Church in Oceanside California. To learn more about us, or to support the work we do, visit us online at www.oceansidesanctuary.org

Since the essence of empathy is to understand people who are different than you are, it requires the willingness to cross borders of one kind or another. But what happens when the hardest borders to cross exist within ourselves—across competing desires, beliefs, and identities?

In this episode, host Jason Coker introduces Tindo, a beloved member of the Oceanside Sanctuary community. Born intersex and assigned male at birth, Tindo was surgically reassigned as female at three months old and raised as "Cynthia." After living for five decades in a gender identity that never quite fit—including time as a debutante and women's auxiliary member—Tindo began a courageous journey of self-discovery to reclaim their authentic self.

Tindo shares their powerful story of navigating the medical and societal trauma of being an intersex person in a binary world. They discuss the profound "empathy journey" required to forgive their parents for decisions made without consent, and how they found spiritual affirmation in the words of Jesus. This conversation is a testament to the power of self-compassion and the possibility of post-traumatic growth.

• The Intersex Reality: Understanding the biological reality of intersex bodies (1.7% of the population) and the history of non-consensual medical interventions.

• Living as Cynthia: Tindo’s experience growing up with a secret medical history and the pressure to perform hyper-femininity.

• The Empathy Journey: How Tindo moved from anger to understanding, using self-empathy to reconcile with their father and the memory of their mother.

• Biblical Validation: A deep dive into Matthew 19, where Jesus’s discussion of eunuchs offers a liberating theology for gender-liminal lives.

• Faith & Legislation: A look at current political efforts to erase intersex existence and why spiritual communities must stand for truth.

Join us for a conversation about the borders we cross to find our true selves, and the grace we find on the other side.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Chicago Tribune Article (2018) by Nara Schoenberg profiling Tindo/Cynthia

• North County LGBTQ Resource Center & Pride by the Beach

• Post-Traumatic Growth research by Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun

• Self-Compassion research by Kristin Neff and Paul Gilbert

• Scripture: Matthew 19; Deuteronomy 24

Learn more about us at oceansidesanctuary.org

Follow us on Instagram @thecollectivetable

What happens when empathy moves beyond individual compassion and becomes a tool for systemic change? In this episode, host Jenell Coker sits down with Dinora, the Executive Director of the San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP), to explore how faith-based organizing builds power among the most vulnerable.

As the oldest daughter of immigrant parents who fled civil war in El Salvador, Dinora became a "translator" early in life—navigating complex systems for her family in a language they didn’t speak. She shares a heart-wrenching childhood story of a brush with law enforcement that exposed the harsh realities of structural bias—a reality Jenell contrasts with her own experience to highlight the profound difference privilege makes.

Together, they discuss:

• The Power of Faith-Based Organizing: How SDOP unites congregations to move from charity to justice, securing wins like the Immigrant Legal Defense Program and the Oceanside Police De-escalation Policy.

• The Challenge of Coalition: Why real solidarity isn't supposed to feel like "home," and the difficult work of building bridges across race, class, and faith.

• Intersectionality & Identity: Dinora’s experience leading as a queer, Latina, Catholic woman, and the tension of navigating spaces that don't always fully embrace her.

• Avoiding the "Oppression Olympics": How to honor distinct pains without letting them divide the movement for collective liberation.

Join us for a conversation about living in the "in-between" and using that unique vantage point to build a more just and empathetic world.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP)

• Coalition Politics by Bernice Johnson Reagon

• The "Oppression Olympics" (Elizabeth Martínez & Angela Davis)

Learn more about us at Oceansidesanctuary.org

Follow us on Instagram @Oceansidesanctuary