Announcement: Hey ya’ll! We have a new podcast name! Welcome to New Kinship, formerly known as Communion and Shalom. We felt it was time for a more specifically focused name, with the same goal of focusing on the ways we belong to each other as Christians, as brothers and sisters, in the complexities of sexuality, ethnicity, and living in community. Join us as we wade into those complexities with people we both agree and disagree with.

For our fiftieth episode (!), we’re sharing a recording from a workshop we gave at Revoice 2024 this year (a conference and ministry for queer/same-sex-attracted/LGBT Side B Christians who are seeking to support and encourage gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other same-sex attracted Christians—as well as those who love them—so that all in the Church might be empowered to live in gospel unity while observing the historic Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality).

Join us as we talk about two significant topics that we don’t hear discussed very much: kinship in lay, intentional Christian communities, and kinship in covenant brotherhoods and sisterhoods, celibate partnerships, and committed friendships. They’re historical, deeply Christian, radical, and somehow also totally normal—even if you’ve never heard of them till now.

Check it out on Substack or YouTube if you’d like to see the slides we shared!

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Note: This episode uses the terms “Side A” and “Side B” (and X, Y) as shorthand quite a bit. If you’re new to the conversation, you might find it helpful to check out Communion & Shalom episode #3, where we talk through the four “sides”: ⁠#3 - A-B-Y-X | 4 Sides on SSA/Gay Sexuality⁠

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Timestamps

(0:00) (Re)Discovering Kinship beyond Marriage

(2:46) Outline of Our Talk: The Path before Us

(3:47) Key Definitions and Ideas

(4:47) Covenants

(7:47) Why Now? Explaining Companionate Marriage

(13:13) David's Investment into Community Living

(15:53) TJ's Brotherhood Covenant

(20:06) What is (Covenant) Community?

(25:50) What's a Household?

(33:59) Covenant Siblinghood

(38:24) Types of Covenant Brotherhood

(40:25) David and Jonathan

(43:08) Ruth and Naomi

(44:34) Walatta Petros and Eheta Kristos: Sisterhood between 17th Century Ethiopian Nuns

(47:47) 20th Century Move to Celibacy

(51:11) Advice for church leaders

(52:29) Q&A

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Links and References in This Episode

* Bible Project on Covenants

* Episode #19: A History of Romance in the West—Part 2 with Kathryn Mogk Wagner

* Atlantic Article: “If the Nuclear Family Has Failed, What Comes Next?”

* Check out the Nurturing Communities Network

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★ Send us feedback, questions, comments, and support!

Email: communionandshalom@gmail.com | Instagram: @newkinship | Substack: @newkinship | Patreon: @newkinship

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★ Credits

Creators and Hosts: David Frank, TJ Espinoza | Audio Engineer: Carl Swenson, carlswensonmusic.com | Podcast Manager: Elena F. ★