On today's episode, Ashley continues her series on Christian Mysticism by exploring the topic of sin or the false self. To learn more about Ashley you can find her on Instagram or Threads at @ashleylhengst or online at ashleylhengst.comBy Ashley Lynn Hengst

On today's episode, Ashley deconstructs the myths and stereotypes that many people hold, even in the queer Christian community, about bisexual people. Ashley deconstructs those myths helping listeners understand how their roots of patriarchal and purity culture thinking. To learn more about Ashley you can visit her on Instagram or Threads at @ashle…

This sermon was originally preached at the Altadena PRIDE Spiritual Exploration event on Saturday, June 8th at the Altadena Baptist Church. Check out these links for more information about the Altadena PRIDE and the Baptist Church. You can connect with Ashley on Instagram and Threads at @ashleylhengst or online at ashleylhengst.com…

On today's podcast, Ashley provides a brief introduction to Christian mysticism and contemplative spirituality through unpacking Vincent Pizzutto's wonderful book "Contemplating Christ: The Gospels and the Interior Life." To learn more about Ashley's work, you can find her on Instagram and Threads at @ashleylhengst and online at ashleylhengst.com…

On today's Friday Field Notes, Ashley offers a critical examination on how we define authority as Christians. Who has authority over our lives? How do they exercise that authority? Is authority that is demanding and forceful God's will? This episode is another episode in her series on sexual theology, unpacking Carter Heyward's ground breaking book…

On today's podcast, Ashley unpacks Emmerson Eggerich's book "Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires and the Respect He Desperately Needs." She deconstructs the theology around Eggerichs' work and offers up a different definition of love inspired by Cater Heyward's book "Touching Our Strength: The Erotic as Power and the Love of God." In Heyward'…

On today's episode, Ashley unpacks the term "sexual confusion" and offers up a more positive way of understanding mystery in sex and romance using Episcopal Priest, Carter Heyward's book "Touching Our Strength: The Erotic as Power and the Love of God." Instead of being ashamed of what we don’t understand, instead of being frustrated we ought to emb…

On today's episode, Ashley discusses the idea of loving others (and yourself) without judgement. To learn more about Ashley's work you can find her at @ashleylhengst or on Instagram at @ashleylhengst.By Ashley Lynn Hengst

After a brief hiatus, Ashley is back with another episode on renewing sex, helping listeners to build a sexual theology that is healthy and life giving. Today's episode features a clip from an interview with Audre Lorde from 1982 and highlights her essay "Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power." To learn more about Ashley's work, visit her website…

On today's episode, Ashley records what she shared at her break out session at this past January at the annual Queer Christian Conference 2024 in Albuquerque, NM. To learn more about a healthy understanding of sex and intimacy, be sure to check out Carter Heyward's book "Touching Our Strength: The Erotic as Power and the Love of God" and Audre Lord…

On today's episode, Ashley unpacks compassion by looking at the life of San Suu Kyi and the writings of John Philip Newell. Ashley refers to the book "The Rebirthing of God" by Newell and explores what compassion means in light of Jesus' teachings to love our enemies. You can learn more about Ashley's work at ashleylhengst.com or follow her on Inst…

On today's podcast, Ashley unpacks Jesus' call of the first disciples and helps listeners reimagine their own calling upon their lives. She deconstructs how we understand the Great Commission and talks through passages from Gregg Levoy's book "Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life." For more information about Ashley and her work visit a…

On today's episode, Ashley unpacks Brittney Cooper's womanist theology in her book "Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower." Cooper's analysis of the evangelical purity culture of the 1990s and the "True Love Waits" campaign provides readers with an understanding of how evangelicalism specifcally harms black women. Cooper's analys…

On today's episode, Ashley sits down with her lovely wife, Jen Hengst, to talk about their pregnancy journey and all of our dreams for the future. To learn more about Ashley, you can connect with her on Instagram and Twitter at @ashleylhengst or online at ashleylhengst.comBy Ashley Lynn Hengst

Carter Heyward is an American feminist theologian and priest in the Episcopal Church who has is known as one of the Philadelphia Eleven, eleven women whose ordinations eventually paved the way for the recognition of women as priests in the Episcopal Church in 1976. Heyward has written extensively on feminist theology and what she calls a "feminist …

On today's episode, Ashley sits down with Sarah Swartzendruber, creator of "Parenting After Deconstruction" and co-pastor of Cascade Church in Portland, OR. Sarah is passionate about empowering parents in deconstruction to create spiritual practices for their kids. You can learn more about Sarah's work by heading to her website or by following her …

On today's episode, Ashley sits down with Damon Garcia, a writer, video essayist, and public theologian. His work is centered around the intersection between liberation and faith. He is the author of The God Who Riots: Taking Back the Radical Jesus . He lives in Santa Maria, California. Follow Damon’s work on Twitter and Instagram @whoisdamon and a…

Lent is finally here and with the lenten season comes a lot of wonderful opportunities for personal examination and introspection. David's Psalm 51 is often used to guide people into a spirit of repentance but we hardly ever think about the context or what David's words truly mean. On today's episode, Ashley deconstructs the idea that we are "born …

On today's episode, Ashley talks about a recent Oriented to Love panel that she attended at Evergreen Baptists church were the panelists discussed a Side B theology. To learn more about Ashley and to find more of her work, you can connect with her on Instagram and Twitter @ashleylhengst or online at ashleylhengst.com…

On today's episode, Ashley unpacks 5 common misconceptions about sex and romance from Paul Carter's article in the Gospel Coalition. She unpacks the term "biblical sexuality" and helps listeners to understand the danger of misleading interpretations of Scripture. You can connect with Ashley on Instagram and Twitter at @ashleylhengst or online at as…

On today's episode, Ashley shares the ups and downs of her own coming out journey. She also describes the powerful impact "The L Word" (2004-2009) show had on her own life and offers encouraging advice for Queer Christians seeking wisdom on how to come out safely. You can connect with Ashley at ashleylhengst.com or on Instagram and Twitter at @ashl…

On today's episode, Ashley helps deconstruct toxic cultural rules given to us by society and the church. Instead, she offers up Melody Beattie's rules for healthy living found in her book "Beyond Codependency." Below is her list of rules: 1. It’s okay to feel my feelings and talk about them when it is safe and appropriate, and I want to. 2. I can t…

For the next few months, all of the episodes on the Unlearning Podcast will be dedicated to the deconstruction of the evangelical purity culture while reconstructing a healthy Christian sexual ethic. Be sure to hit the subscribe button so that you never miss any episodes on the Unlearning Podcast season of Pleasure and Purity. You can connect with …

Earlier this month I had the privilege of attending the Queer Christian Conference in Washington, DC. where I heard Bishop O.C. Allen preach for the first time. Check out more information on the conference and on Bishop Allen here. Here is a link to the Bishop Allen's commandments for 2023. For more information on Ashley Lynn Hengst you can reach o…

What is the best, most-Christ-like way to respond to your child when they come out as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered? As evangelicals we’ve been taught to believe that love and judgement go hand in hand and to love the sinner but hate the sin. This kind of theology is incredibly dangerous. On today's episode, Ashley walks evangelical paren…

Does the purpose and function of pastoral ministry change the more theologically progressive we become? On today's episode, listeners are invited to consider the meaning of pastoral care. Ashley makes the case for a Christ-centered pastoral ministry, a ministry that reflects attending to the needs and the concerns of the people under your care in a…

The Friday Field Notes segment of "The Unlearning Podcast" is here to help you reconstruct your faith after a season of deconstruction. On today's episode, Ashley reads the chapter "Resistance and Fundamentalism" from Steven Pressfield's book "The Art of War." Ashley will be leading a break out session at the Queer Christian Conference this January…

Did Jesus really resurrect from the dead? Do we have to believe in a literal resurrection in order to go to heaven? On today's episode, Ashley unpacks all of the toxic thinking surrounding the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. In this episode, she features the opening line of Rev. Mike Kinman's Easter sermon. She also shares John Piper's read…

As we go through our deconstruction journey, we sometimes feel guilty in leaving communities and friend groups that no longer serve us. As we unlearn toxic theology, we sometimes feel guilty over no longer being friends with people who still hold onto evangelical beliefs. And because we’ve taken Scripture so literally, we feel like we are sinning w…

Luke could have begun his gospel narrative with the healing of a very important Roman centurion or of a rich young ruler. But instead of choosing the most respected people in society, Luke described Jesus as moving to the margins, particularly when it came to the intersectional realities of age and gender. On today's episode, Ashley walks us throug…

As evangelicals, we’ve been taught to believe that our heart and our emotions and even our very minds cannot be trusted. Evangelicals have used a variety of bible verses to support this idea, that we are inherently evil and that we should "crucify" the bad parts of ourselves or our flesh. On today's episode, Ashley deconstructs toxic theology aroun…

Many of us received our understanding of demons from the (1973) move "The Exorcist." We believe demons to be part of a moral army of oppressive spirits that recruit humans into an evil force, possessing them with an evil energy, not unlike the death eaters in Harry Potter. But bible scholar Fred B. Craddock paints a different picture of demons, tha…

Welcome to our monthly on the Unlearning Podcast called “The Briefing: News and Events from a Progressive Christian world view.” In our August episode, I interview Dr. Tracey Shenell and Pastor Hannah Sims on all of their thoughts concerning recent news and events. The Briefing on the Unlearning Podcast is here to help you think critically about th…

When thinking about Christianity as a religion, Cuban theologian Miguel De La Torre explains that we must define our religion from the point of view of people on the margins and not people in wealth and in power. That’s a big change in point of view for a lot of us because for many of us, all we do is follow and like and invest in the point of view…

Lex Orandi, Lex Crendendi "the law of prayer is the law of belief" or you are what you pray. On this week's Friday Field Notes, Ashley talks about prayer and invites listeners to incorporate the beautiful tradition of the Book of Common Prayer into their prayer lives. You can connect with Ashley on Instagram and Twitter @ashleylhengst or on her web…

THE BRIEFING is a monthly segment by Ashley Lynn Hengst on the "News and Events from a Progressive Christian Point of View." This past July, we saw the exquisite images from NASA’s James Webb Telescope, continuation of the midterm elections, the passing of the Inflation Reduction act , and former President Trump’s Margo Island fiasco. Check out the…

As we make our way back to church and look for a church and look for a pastor and begin to reconstruct our faith, it is so important that we begin to take part in Christian fellowship. Staying after church for cookies and coffee to talk with people, to catch up on their week, to encourage other people and to be encouraged by them is good for your s…

Whenever people go on an unlearning journey, on a journey of deconstructing their Christian faith, it’s often necessary to take a break from attending church and to take a break from reading Scripture and sometimes to take a break, even from praying. And that’s okay. Religious trauma is a REAL THING and sometimes you cannot heal from trauma until y…

This gospel that Jesus proclaimed is a gospel of liberation – not a gospel of hell fire and brimstone. This is why liberation theologies are so important. Liberation theologies like black theology or feminist theology or womanist theology or queer theology are theologies of liberation, ways of looking at Scripture and at the character of God that s…

It doesn’t matter what evangelical pastors say – Scripture is for everyone. We can all approach the Bible using our own context or through the lens of our own liberation and allow God to strengthen us, fill up our soul and strengthen our connection to the Divine no matter who we are or what context we find ourselves in. On today's Friday Field Note…

Welcome to the Unlearning Podcast – a gentle deconstruction podcast dedicated to helping you learn to love Jesus and your neighbor through healthy life-giving theology. I am your host, Ashley Lynn Hengst and I’m so grateful you are checking out the show. I am a graduate of Claremont School of Theology and I’m passionate about helping people underst…

Your life is so much more than what you give and do for other people. The abundant life that Christ talked about is not limited to service of others. It’s about living joyfully in your spirit and enjoying the healthy pleasures of life knowing you are unconditionally loved. What would you love to do if time and money were not a problem? What would y…

"Man does not live by bread alone but by every word from the mouth of God." This was Jesus' response to the Devil when he presented him the temptation to use God's power for selfish gain. On today's episode, Ashley walks us through some of the questions that come up for progressive Christians when looking at the temptation of Jesus. Is the Devil re…

Today marks the very first Friday Field Notes segment : a *new* weekly segment dropping every Friday dedicated to help[ing you reconstruct a healthy Christian faith experience. How do we build our faith? What are some healthy faith practices (or spiritual disciplines) that we can adopt? What are some healthy Christian living books that we can read?…

In this episode, Ashley continues her series on the Gospel of Luke walking listeners through the beauty of baptism and repentance. Healthy repentance is not rooted in shame or despair but hope in the grace of a loving God. Ashley Lynn Hengst is the host of the Unlearning Podcast. You can connect with Ashley on Instagram and Twitter @ashleylhengst o…

In this sermon, Ashley talks about "Pleasure & Purity: Healthy Christian Sexual Ethics" as part of a two part talk given at Central Avenue Church in Glendale, CA on June 19th. You can connect with Ashley on Instagram & Twitter @ashleylhengst or on her website at ashleylhengst.comBy Ashley Lynn Hengst

In this sermon, Ashley gives her second talk "Pleasure & Purity: Healthy Christian Sexual Ethics" at Central Avenue Church in Glendale, CA on June 26th. You can connect with Ashley on Instagram & Twitter @ashleylhengst or on her website at ashleylhengst.comBy Ashley Lynn Hengst

Today's episode is in response to the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. In this episode, Ashley outlines the importance of being "prayerfully pro-choice." She talks about the history of Roe vs. Wade, recent statistics on abortion and what Scripture has to say about the issue. Ashley also shares Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry's…

On today's episode, I sit down with Andre Jacinto, a wonderful man of God in the Los Angeles area. Andre talks about his coming out journey and experiencing God's love at a tent revival in the '60s. Andre also shares about his journey with fatherhood and offers encouraging words for parents struggling with coming out. Andre speaks at length about t…

Welcome to a *new segment* on the Unlearning Podcast called "The Briefing: News and Events from a Progressive Christian world view. Joining me this month is Andrew Janey. Andrew is a poet, preacher, actor and a beloved Christian leader in the LGBT community in the Los Angeles area. On today’s episode, we talk about Abbott Elementary, Amber Heard, t…