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)

Accidental Tomatoes

Season 2 Episode 19: Jonathan Dewveall on Music and Conversation

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.

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

Pride Month continues at Accidental Tomatoes as Queer clergyperson Sam Blewis talks with Joe about "The Sacred Act of Neighboring," a way of building community around authentic friendships and deep vulnerability.

Season 2 Episode 17: Sam Blewis and the Sacred Act of Neighboring

Our Pride Month celebration continues with a fascinating interview with Isaac Simmons, whose drag persona, Ms. Penny Cost, is bringing an unexpected encounter with the divine to LGBTQ folks and allies across the country. In this episode Isaac talks to Joe and Brandon about how the art form of drag can reclaim religious language within queer spaces and how he's able to redirect negative criticism into life-giving experiences of grace.

Season 2 Episode 16: Isaac Simmons on Drag Church

In this episode, Joe and Brandon talk to Amy Jo Hutchinson and Sr. Quincy Howard of Faithful Democracy about the For The People Act, a massive piece of voting rights and election reform legislation now before Congress, and why it’s important for communities and people of all kinds of faith expressions to know about and support it. You can sign on to a letter in support of the act to West Virginia’s Senators at this link.

Season 2 Episode 15: Amy Jo Hutchinson & Sr. Quincy Howard on the For the People Act.

Beer and Hymns may not exactly go together like peanut butter and jelly, but for people seeking spiritual community outside the confines of institutional religion, it's a way to come together for an experience unlike any other! In this episode Joe and Brandon talk with Rich and Alise Chaffins, organizers of Beer and Hymns in Morgantown, WV, about how and why these gatherings are so meaningful for spiritual exiles of all sorts.

Season 2 Episode 14: Beer & Hymns with Rich and Alise Chaffins

In this episode Joe welcomes new podcast co-host Brandon Wood (Hey Mom Everything's Alright) and content creators Jenny Williams (Episodes 24 & 25), Brad Davis (Episode 27), and Heather Moore (Episode 36) for a conversation about how deconstruction and justice-seeking go together and our plans for new material on the blog side of the Accidental Tomatoes content site.

Season 2 Episode 13: Meet the new content team!

Environmental justice is more than just environmentalism...it sits at the intersection of ecological concerns, culture, race, gender & sexuality, economics, politics, faith, and societal norms. In this episode, environmental justice activist Chett Pritchett joins Joe for a wide-ranging conversation about the complexities and nuances of the environmental justice movement.

Season 2 Episode 12: Chett Pritchett on Environmental Justice

Is "Weird Church" really weird? Or is it just a more authentic way of building community around friendships and vulnerability? Pastor and gamer nerd Heather Moore joins Joe for a conversation about how the metaphorical kids' table of the church is quickly becoming the main seating area.

Season 2 Episode 11: Weird Church with Heather Moore

Rabbi Victor Urecki returns to the Accidental Tomatoes Podcast in this episode for a conversation about how the Passover and Easter narratives gain deeper meaning when viewed through an interfaith lens with the Jewish and Christian traditions in dialogue with one another...PLUS, a bonus conversation on the theology of WandaVision!

Season 2 Episode 10: Rabbi Victor Urecki Returns!

In this episode Joe welcomes Ginny McKinney of Marshmallow Ranch for a conversation about how loss and grief inspired her to start a new kind of online community, how her faith experience informs her work, and the importance of building relationships through common context.

Season 2 Episode 9: Ginny McKinney of Marshmallow Ranch on grief & community

Musician and podcaster Brandon Wood (Hey Mom, Everything's Alright, brandonwoodmusic.com) sits down with Joe to talk about surviving spiritual abuse, thriving and creating through deconstruction, and making music in all kinds of places. Hear the world premier of Brandon's new single "Not My Home Anymore" and stick around for a special announcement at the end of the episode!

Season 2 Episode 8: Brandon Wood of "Hey Mom Everything's Alright" on spiritual trauma, deconstruction, and making music in pandemic

In this episode, Joe talks with disability advocate Rev. Chris Wylie about his experiences with ableism and how disability narratives in scripture can change our individual and cultural perspectives.

Season 2 Episode 7: Ableism & Disability Narratives with Chris Wylie

Rublev's Trinity is one of the, well, most iconic of Russian Orthodox icons. In this episode Joe talks with Rev. Dr. John Smith about his book on Rublev's Trinity, his work with Orphan's Tree in Russia, and how iconography can help people in spiritual deconstruction rediscover an experience of the divine.

Season 2 Episode 6: John Smith on Rublev's Trinity

In this episode cross-posted from Social Thread, we invite you to drop in on a conversation between Accidental Tomatoes host Joe Webb and Social Thread hosts Rob Rynders and Robert Payne about the new, non-traditional types of faith communities they're imagining and creating and Rob's research into what motivates people in various religious contexts. (This episode was originally aired on the Social Thread Podcast in October 2019.)

Season 2 Episode 5: Rob Rynders and Robert Payne of Social Thread: New Faith Communities for Spiritual Exiles and Refugees

A podcast for people trying to find spirituality beyond the fences

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