Kwok ’n’ Roll

Is socialism Christian? Postcolonial theologian Kwok Pui Lan talks with Gary Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary, about religion and politics and the rise of democratic socialists in America.

Dorrien is the author of numerous books on Christian socialism and the history of the American left, including American Democratic Socialism. As a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, he brings both scholarship and personal commitment to this conversation about faith, economics, and justice.

In this Faithful Provocations conversation, we discuss what democratic socialism means in the American tradition from Eugene Debs to Martin Luther King Jr. to Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani, where the Bible grounds economic justice, and how Christian socialism differs from both Christian nationalism and anti-religious materialism. We also talk about why young Americans are joining DSA now, and what people of faith can do if they feel politically homeless.

ABOUT GARY DORRIEN: Gary Dorrien is the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York. His books include American Democratic Socialism, Social Ethics in the Making, and a memoir, Over from Union Road.

Was Jesus political? Biblical scholar Richard Horsley on what Rome reveals about America today.

In this Faithful Provocations conversation, I talk with Richard A. Horsley, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Liberal Arts and the Study of Religion at UMass Boston, about his book Jesus and the Powers: Conflict, Covenant, and the Hope of the Poor. We explore covenant theology and apocalyptic hope under empire, what Roman power felt like in Galilee, and why reading crucifixion as imperial punishment changes the cross.

We also connect Rome then to America now — from his work on Jesus and Empire to how Christian language is used today to bless military power and strong leaders, and where he sees the powers most clearly in the US right now. We close with the hope of the poor — what faithfulness can look like for students, pastors, and Christians who feel overwhelmed by empire.

Guest: Richard A. Horsley, author of Jesus and the Powers and Jesus and Empire

Does AI need religion? Franciscan scientist-theologian Ilia Delio says yes — and responds to Pope Leo on AI.

Kwok Pui Lan interviews Ilia Delio on ai and religion, evolution, transhumanism, and what Pope Leo gets right — and misses — about safeguarding the human person.

Ilia Delio, OSF, is a Franciscan sister, former Chair at Villanova, Executive Director of the World Institute for Science, Religion, and Culture, and author of 20 books, including Re-enchanting the Earth: Why AI Needs Religion. Trained as a pharmacologist and historical theologian, she places AI inside cosmic history — from Teilhard de Chardin's noosphere to our future as natural-born cyborgs.

We discuss why Christianity must be reconstructed for evolution and complexity, the difference between a transhuman future built for power and a posthuman future built for wholeness, and how ordinary people of faith can stay human and connected in an AI age.

Books by Dr. Ilia Delio: Re-enchanting the Earth: Why AI Needs Religion and The Christian Mutation: Reclaiming the Dynamic God of Jesus.

How can Christian sexual ethics move past shame-based rules? We explore wisdom for navigating the digital age.

Postcolonial theologian Kwok Pui Lan talks with ethicist Kate Ott about the impact of technology on our intimate lives. From the prevalence of dating apps to the challenges posed by virtual reality and deepfakes, many traditional faith communities struggle to provide guidance that fosters wisdom instead of shame.

Kate introduces a values-based alternative rooted in honesty, mutuality, and digital literacy. We discuss why a pleasure-positive perspective is essential for AI ethics and why the physical reality of embodiment still matters when our encounters are mediated by screens.

Kate Ott is Professor of Christian Social Ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Kate Ott's books: Sex, Tech, and Faith: Ethics for a Digital Age; and

Christian Ethics for a Digital Society

Who rules China — and who decides what makes power legitimate? Postcolonial theologian Kwok Pui Lan talks with Peng Yin, Assistant Professor of Ethics at Boston University School of Theology, on Chinese political theology after Xi's visit to Washington.

In this interview, we move beyond trade and security headlines from the Xi Jinping Trump meeting to ask a deeper question about US-China relations : how is political power justified? Peng Yin explains what Chinese political theology is, how it differs from American debates on Christian nationalism, and why legitimacy is at its center.

We discuss his work on Thomas Aquinas and early Chinese ethics, natural law from Aquinas to Montesquieu and early modern Chinese reformers, and the church in China. The conversation closes with faith between two empires — for diaspora Christians, students, and all who want to persist in the good.

Peng Yin's research focuses on comparative religious ethics, political theology, and Chinese thought. His recent book is Persisting in the Good: Thomas Aquinas and Early Chinese Ethics.