Accidental Tomatoes

Season 3 Episode 2: Brad Davis: From Pusher to Preacher

If the #hollergospel is about bringing people up from the low places in the world, Brad Davis knows it well because he's been there. In this episode, Brad talks openly and frankly about his time as a drug dealer in the Southern West Virginia coalfields, the almost inescapable spiral of fear and hopelessness of the drug culture, and what motivates him to be part of the solution in a region that seems trapped in multiple layers of addiction.

Season 3 Preview

Joe and Brandon preview Season 3 of the podcast, discussing upcoming guests, plans for new features on the accidentaltomatoes.com website, as well as their favorite Halloween costumes and their aversion to horror movies.

Season 2 Episode 25: Shane Claiborne Revisited

As we continue to prepare for our upcoming third season, we revisit one of our favorite episodes from Season 1 where Joe interviewed social justice activist and author Shane Claiborne in a wide-ranging conversation covering issues from the Sermon on the Mount to gun violence and the death penalty to the Christian response to injustice in the world.

Season 2 Episode 24: Dr. Tomeka Robinson on Intersectionality and Centering Marginalized Voices (re-air)

In this re-airing from Season 1 Episode 21, Joe talks with public advocacy specialist Dr. Tomeka Robinson of Hofstra University about why it’s important to center the voices of the marginalized in conversations around justice and equality and the role intersectionality plays in our exercise of privilege.

Season 2 Episode 23: Spiritual Trauma with Emily (Stuart) Davey Revisited

While we take a short hiatus from new episodes before launching Season 3, we revisit our most-downloaded episode from our first two seasons: Spiritual Trauma with Emily (Stuart) Davey. If you or someone you know has been shamed or ostracized by a religious community or institution, or if you feel like you just don’t fit in those places anymore, this episode is for you.

Season 2 Episode 22: Wendy Hudson on Mutual Aid and Decolonizing Mission

What if a faith community could see all of its resources—money, time, or access to services—as equal and valid? What if churches asked their neighbors what they need before presuming how to help them? In this episode, Rev. Wendy Hudson of Two Rivers Church in Charleston, SC talks about mutual aid, decolonizing mission, and how her community compensates people from historically marginalized groups for the work they do.

Season 2 Episode 21: "Naked Pastor" David Hayward

You've seen his cartoons. You've admired his paintings. You've read his books. Now, hear his story! "Naked Pastor" David Hayward sits down with Brandon and Joe to talk about deconstruction, reconstruction, faith development, and how community is at the center of it all. Check out all of David's work at nakedpastor.com

Season 2 Episode 20: Jim Nolan on the Temple of Truth: A Diagram for Spiritual Development

Do all faith traditions lead to the same destination? Or is the idea that all spiritual roads lead to the same place itself insufficient? In this episode we welcome back West Virginia University Sociology Professor Jim Nolan to talk about his concept of the “Temple of Truth” and how different perspectives and entry points lead not to the same place, but deeply into each other.

BONUS: Jim shares his “Apostate’s Creed,” a corrective to unthinking and uncritical religious dogma.

*For a diagram of Jim's Temple of Truth, find the episode page on our website at https://accidentaltomatoes.com

Season 2 Episode 19: Jonathan Dewveall on Music and Conversation

We all like to talk about music and our favorite bands and artists. But what if experiencing music in an intimate setting could be the launchpad for meaningful conversations about life, faith, justice, and everything in between? In this episode, singer-songwriter Jonathon Dewveall talks about how music has the freedom to ask questions without requiring answers and how his “In The Corner” virtual house shows are opening up space for people to explore ideas and discuss difficult topics with authenticity and vulnerability. (Check out Jonathon's music on his Spotify channel)

Season 2 Episode 18: Dr. Jim Nolan on Police Reform

With tensions regarding police violence on the rise, we’ve seen lots of conversation about how to reform policing or even redistribute funding from certain areas of police activity to other types of support agencies. But former police officer Dr. Jim Nolan, professor of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University and author of two in-depth books on police reform, says the real solution goes beyond catch phrases and hashtags to a fundamental re-thinking of what police departments should—and should not—actually be about. In this episode Jim talks with Joe and Brandon about how a fundamental shift from a strict focus on law enforcement to one built on social contexts could really make our communities safer and even improve both mental and physical health for people.