Heidi Neumark spent twenty years as the pastor of Transfiguration Lutheran Church in the South Bronx in New York City, and has spent the past decade at Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan. At both posts, she has encountered the same need: people on the margins - cast out and unwanted - who need to hear the Good News that they are wanted, needed, and valued.

So Reverend Neumark has focused her ministry on immigrants, the homeless, and queer and LGBTQ youth, offering them shelter and welcome in a city that is often harsh and violent.

Host David Dault speaks to Reverend Neumark about what motivates her ministry, how she reads the Bible, and what gives her hope.

Also on the show, our guest producer, Katie Lynn Murphy, files a report about her experiences of China during the recent protests.

Tattoos, foul language, and a heart for the Gospel. pastor and author Nadia Bolz-Weber talks about her new book, Accidental Saints, and the centrality of grace.

In the year 2000, against strong opposition,  pasthe Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, passed Congress by unanimous vote. It's supporters proclaimed that "God worked a miracle" that day on Capitol Hill. Our guest, John Mauck, was instrumental in crafting the ideas and language that became the Act. He tells us the story of how it became law.

We revisit our 2012 interview with Furman University philosophy professor J. Aaron Simmons, to discuss the relationship of Christianity and postmodern thought. Simmons identifies as a Pentecostal, a traditionally conservative Christian denomination. But his views on social issues complicate this easy label. We talk about the complexities he sees in the life of faith during this hour of conversation.

Our host David Dault speaks with award-winning poet, author, and journalist Judith Valente. We discuss her career as a religion reporter, as well as her explorations of modern monasticism.