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Nerds At Church

Nerds At Church

By Nerds At Church

Nerds At Church connects faith with all things nerdery! A new way to connect to scripture, your faith, your life, and the world.
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Easter 3 Year B

Nerds At ChurchApr 12, 2021

00:00
01:11:55
Season 4 Episode 11: Book Talk

Season 4 Episode 11: Book Talk

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to dive into books for our final episode in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We talked about all of our episodes this season, which you can find wherever you catch your podcasts!  You can find the vast majority of the books that we talked about in our bookshop.org booklist for this season.  Kay mentioned this website with a great reading list to dive deeper into Zoroastrianism.  Check out Astrology by Carole Taylore.  Dive into Tipikawi Tisik by Wilfred Buck. Check out more information on the movie Don’t Look Up.  Get the Scouting Guide to Hiking here.  Explore Paradox Perfect here.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Apr 10, 202449:41
Season 4 Episode 10: Space Programs

Season 4 Episode 10: Space Programs

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Rev. Kristin Rice (she/they) (pupper parent to Blessing) to dive into space programs for episode 10 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 


The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Kay mentioned this interview with Richard Feynman, the brother of astronomer Joan Feynman, after the Challenger disaster.  Check out NASA’s current missions.  Of course we couldn’t leave out this glorious song by Marcia Belsky in honor of Sally Ride and NASA’s incompetent scientists.  Check out our Bookshop.org booklist for this season to look at (and buy?) the books we mentioned.


CN: brief conversation about space program involved deaths


To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Mar 20, 202401:15:06
Season 4 Episode 9: Space Travel in Pop Culture

Season 4 Episode 9: Space Travel in Pop Culture

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Jeremy Cobb (he/him) of Three Black Halflings to dive into space travel in pop culture for episode 9 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 


The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned episode 5 of this season on astrophysics with Dr. Katie Mack.  Emily also mentioned the Horror Nerds at Church episode on Everything Everywhere All at Once.  Jeremy mentioned the songs Slippery People by Talking Heads and 39 by Queen.  Jeremy also mentioned this video about the Frankfurt School from YouTuber Kyle Kallgren and the way that popular art reflects the culture of the time.  


If you’re interested in more Paradox Perfect, check out their itch.io page, which lets you download the game and has links to all the times Jeremy’s publicly GMed the game.  Jeremy also mentioned this 3BH episode where he GMs Paradox Perfect with guest Brennan Lee Mulligan.  Jeremy also GMed Paradox Perfect with Not Another D&D Podcast on 3BH in part 1, and with NADDPod on 3BH part 2.  Also, we were slightly off on our information. The Pathfinder Ancestry Jeremy mentioned is basically a stuffed animal, but they're actually called Poppets and you can find them here.


CN: we talk about the rise of Nazis and child dismemberment and danger when discussing the deep dive.
Don’t forget to check out the books we’re mentioning at bookshop.org/shop/NerdsAtChurch. To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Mar 13, 202401:13:52
Season 4 Episode 8: Geography & Celestial Navigation

Season 4 Episode 8: Geography & Celestial Navigation

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to dive into geography and celestial navigation for episode 8 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Learn more about Dark Sky places from DarkSky International.  The Smithsonian has a great site focusing on mostly European time and navigation.  Find out more about ancient Minoan navigation here.  National Geographic gives a good overview of navigation.

For a list of books from this season, from guests, and from Pastor Emily and Pastor Kay’s own favorites, check out our bookshop.org affiliate link!  To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Mar 06, 202401:00:15
Season 4 Episode 7: Male Astronomers

Season 4 Episode 7: Male Astronomers

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to dive into male astronomers for episode 7 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned last week’s episode on Astronomers.  We mentioned our episode on the Solar System (#TeamPluto).  We mentioned our episode on Astrophysics with Dr. Katie Mack.

Check out this awesome LEGO set of pioneers in science at NASA, including Nancy Grace Roman, who we mention in this episode.  Check out more on the controversy around Johannes Kepler’s scientific acumen.  Find more on the future for Maunakea’s stewardship (though it is from 2022).


Check out our new bookshop.org shop here. To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Feb 28, 202401:11:09
Season 4 Episode 6: Astronomers

Season 4 Episode 6: Astronomers

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to dive into astronomers for episode 6 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned last week’s episode on Astronomy with Katie Mack.  Check out the Museum of the Bible exhibit on Scripture and Science.  We always love to share the wonderful song about Sally Ride and the male scientists who clearly did not know science well enough.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Feb 21, 202443:38
Season 4 Episode 5: Astrophysics

Season 4 Episode 5: Astrophysics

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Dr. Katie Mack (she) to dive into astrophysics for episode 5 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 


The scripture we refer to for this episode (plus Isaiah including the missing parts) can be found here.  We mentioned our Cosmology episode from this season. We mentioned last season’s episode on the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, diving into forgiveness with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg.  If you want the full article “Gravitational Effects of and on Vacuum Decay” (Coleman and De Luccia, 1980), check it out here.  Here’s the link to Katie’s website with How to Become an Astrophysicist.


To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Feb 14, 202401:09:06
Season 4 Episode 4: Our Solar System

Season 4 Episode 4: Our Solar System

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to dive into our solar system for episode 4 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned our Astrology episode with Emily Ann Garcia.  There’s lots of great info and links on NASA’s website.  Emily mentioned Stefanie’s Zine where she shares fun facts on Jupiter’s moon, Io on p. 10-12.  Learn more about Quaoar and Weywot here.  Kay mentioned Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” full suite.  Emily mentioned the electromagnetic spectrum recordings of the planets, which have been recorded in the audible range of the human ear.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Feb 07, 202401:12:08
Season 4 Episode 3: Astrology

Season 4 Episode 3: Astrology

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Emily Ann Garcia (they/she) to dive into astrology for episode 3 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We talked about Genesis 1, which we mentioned in the first episode of this season. Find your star chart and more for free at the Astrolabe site Emily G. mentioned.  Emily G. also recommended the Chani Nicholas site.  The books Emily G. mentioned using are: You Were Born for This by Chani Nicholas (for values) and Astrology by Carol Taylor (for vocab). Emily G. recommended the podcast Anzalduing It

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jan 31, 202401:13:59
Season 4 Episode 2: Magi & Zoroastrianism

Season 4 Episode 2: Magi & Zoroastrianism

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to dive into the Magi and Zoroastrianism for episode 2 in our Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, check out last season’s episode with Rev. Colette Broady Grund.  For more on the magi gifts, check out our second season’s Epiphany episode with Jessica Davis.  Emily talked about their #ADVENTures photo series from AdventMasPhany 2020. Learn more about Zoroastrianism from this great article.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jan 17, 202438:26
Season 4 Episode 1: Cosmology

Season 4 Episode 1: Cosmology

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to dive into cosmology throughout history and pop culture for our first episode in our own Nerds At Church season of Epiphany! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We talked about our episode diving into the Big Bang for Christmas 2 in season 1 with Dr. David Kordahl.  We mentioned Genesis 1, which we cover in our Baptism of Jesus episode in season 1.  We mentioned our deep dive into Woman Wisdom for Holy Trinity in season 2.

For more about African cosmologies, check out this encyclopedia article.  Learn more about the cultures Black Panther was based on in this article. Learn more about Native American cosmologies in this encyclopedia article or this Dædalus article.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jan 10, 202450:40
Season 4 Intro: Epiphany, Astronomy, & the Magi!

Season 4 Intro: Epiphany, Astronomy, & the Magi!

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to dive into Season 4: Epiphany, and all that we've got in store for you!

We'll be releasing on Wednesdays here and wherever you catch your podcasts! Don't forget to check out our Season 2 Epiphany episode with Jessica Davis and our Season 3 Christmas 1 episode of the Feast of the Holy Innocents with Rev. Collette Broady Grund to dig into today (and its fallout) in more detail.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut episodes, Live Q&As, discounts on merch, movie commentaries, and more.  

If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jan 06, 202413:02
Mini-Muppetsode!

Mini-Muppetsode!

We love Muppets!


Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the Muppets!  For our special end of season minisode, we went for a Muppetsode!  For more on how to make puppets like the muppets, check out Furri Fingers for many a puppet-y delight!  For more on the controversy with Sesame Street and Austism Speaks, check out this article.


Reminder: lectionary episodes from our first season can be found by scrolling back to the beginning of our podcast or on our diakonia.faith YouTube channel, which includes captions!


To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Dec 14, 202338:09
Reign of Christ Year A

Reign of Christ Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for Reign of Christ, also known as Christ the Queen, which falls on November 26th this year, including our deep dive into year endings and beginnings! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned last year’s Maundy Thursday episode diving into Passover with Rabbi Maurice Appelbaum and last year’s Good Shepherd Sunday episode diving into shepherding with Polly Festa.  For more on New Year’s traditions around the world, check out this Glamour article or check out this NaTakallam article.  Check out the lost sheep video Kay mentioned!  Kay also mentioned the Lord Peter Wimsey books.

***For those who want to go back to the beginning and also be ready for our new content, you can subscribe to the diakonia.faith YouTube channel, and specifically, check out our Nerds At Church Revisited Playlist, where we’ll be posting beginning next week for Advent 1!***

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Nov 20, 202350:33
25th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

25th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 33 or Proper 28, which falls on November 19th this year, including our deep dive into currency! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned last year’s episode for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost diving deep into taxes, last week’s episode diving deep into lighting, this season’s 19th Sunday after Pentecost episode diving deep into vineyards, last season’s Maundy Thursday episode diving deep into Passover with Rabbi Maurice Appelbaum, and last year’s episode for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost diving deep into capitalism with Dr. Filipe Maia.  

For more on the history of money, check out this article from Science News.  John Oliver dug into Argentina’s presidential election and financial situation in Episode 15, which aired October 29, 2023 (we couldn’t find a full clip, though it’s available on many streaming services).  To compare your own money and inflation, check out this inflation calculator.  To compare costs from 1973, check out this WishbookWeb 1973 Catalog.


To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Nov 13, 202357:28
24th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

24th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 32 or Proper 27, which falls on November 12th this year, including our deep dive into lighting! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more on the Big Bang, check out our first season episode for the 2nd Sunday of Christmas with Dr. David Kordahl. We also mentioned this year’s Holy Trinity episode on prisms!  For more on weddings, check out this year’s episode for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost. Wikipedia has a great timeline of lighting technology and this site has a great article about the evolution of lighting!  Emily mentioned their article in Sojourners re-writing the Amos passage after the Uvalde shooting, EVN the bioethicist on tiktok, and diakonia.faith’s Pride Vigil (Suzannah’s part starts at 14:41).

CN: we briefly mention a school shooting in the first reading.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Nov 06, 202358:36
23rd Sunday after Pentecost Year A

23rd Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Mother Jo Kershaw (she) of The College of the Resurrection in Mirfield to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 31 or Proper 26, which falls on the 5th of November this year, including our deep dive into Guy Fawkes Day! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Go here to read the full Act of Parliament that we referenced.  We also talked about the trans poet Jay Hulme and Billy Porter’s amazing memoir Unprotected (best in audiobook format). Please take our listener survey!!

CN: we talk about torture, terrorism, and anti-Catholic discrimination when discussing the deep dive.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Oct 30, 202301:17:41
All Saints Day Year A

All Saints Day Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for All Saints Day, which falls on November 1st this and every year, though you may commemorate it on November 5th this year, including our deep dive into funerals! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more on death, check out last year’s All Saints Day episode with Rev. Justin Thornburgh.  For more on cemeteries and graveyards, check out this year’s episode on the 5th Sunday in Lent.  For the real deep question of if Jesus was a zombie, check out our first season’s episode on the 3rd Sunday of Easter with Horror Nerds At Church.  Please take our listener survey!!

CN: we talk about christian supremacy and miscarriage in the deep dive and miscarriage also in the Gospel reading.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Oct 26, 202301:10:25
Reformation Day Year A

Reformation Day Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Brooke McLain (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for Reformation Day, also known as Halloween or the last day in October, which falls on October 31st this and every year, though it may be commemorated the last Sunday in October, including our deep dive into coffee! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  To dive more into the Reformation, check out our first season’s episode with Luther Scholar, Pace Warfield, and last year’s episode on lesser-known impacts of the Reformation. Kay also shared this Coffee/Reformation Meme. Take our listener survey!!

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Oct 25, 202301:14:25
22nd Sunday after Pentecost Year A

22nd Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 30 or Proper 25, which falls on October 29th this year, including our deep dive into Pharisees and Sadducees! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We highly recommend the Jewish Annotated New Testament.  We talked about John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight episode on health care for those who are incarcerated.  Kay mentioned this Captain America’s PR Manager fanfic.  Emily mentioned the HNAC episode on Interview with the Vampire.  Take our listener survey!!

CN: we talk about antisemitism when discussing the deep dive.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Oct 23, 202343:02
21st Sunday after Pentecost Year A

21st Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Rev. Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 29 or Proper 24, which falls on October 22nd this year, including our deep dive into civic engagement! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Oct 16, 202301:17:52
20th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

20th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 28 or Proper 23, which falls on October 15th this year, including our deep dive into weddings! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Kay recommended A Practical Wedding for practical advice as well as tools and resources; Offbeat Wed for lots of ideas outside the normative wedding practices; Captain Awkward for all the awkward advice you need for weddings!

For more on the horror of the Twilight: Breaking Dawn, pt. 1 wedding scene, check out Horror Nerds At Church’s episode on the movie with friend of the podcast, Suzannah Porter.  For more on fire, check out this year’s Pentecost episode and for more on vineyards, check out last week’s episode.  Emily also mentioned HNAC’s first book miniseason episode on Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Oct 09, 202301:20:11
19th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

19th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 27 or Proper 22, which falls on October 8th this year, including our deep dive into vineyards! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned this summer’s parables episode with Dr. Amy-Jill Levine for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost. For more on vineyard management, check out this article from Michigan State University, this Practical Winery Library magazine, this study on vineyard management for grape production, or these pictures of what grapevines look like throughout the growing cycle.  Just for fun, check out the I Love Lucy scene of Lucy stomping grapes!

CN: we talk about diet culture when discussing the second reading.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Oct 02, 202347:00
18th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

18th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Suzannah Porter (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 26 or Proper 21, which falls on October 1st this year, including our deep dive into music in worship! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Check out Suzannah’s musical gifts in QueeryingTheMusic (part of Emily’s QueeryingTheText blog, which is currently on hiatus, but has posts from the last time this year’s readings were up).  Suzannah mentioned her Sneaky B**** Playlist of Spirit-filled secular music.  We mentioned last week’s episode diving into Philippians.  Don’t forget to become a Patreon supporter to have access and download Suzannah’s comprehensive guide to citing music licenses for worship!

CN: we talk about abuse and family dysfunction when discussing the deep dive.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, & now Bluesky! at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Sep 25, 202301:18:40
17th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

17th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 25 or Proper 20, which falls on September 24th this year, including our deep dive into Philippians! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  To check out Emily’s first ever #RollForSermon on Philippians, you can find the tiktok here and you can find the full sermon here. For more on Paul, the author of Philippians, check out our deep dive for our episode on the 3rd Sunday of Easter last year.  For more on biblical cussing, check out the deep dive for our first season’s episode for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost.  For more about Jonah, check out the deep dive for our first season’s episode for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany with River Cook Needham.  For more on vengeance, check out this season’s deep dive in our episode on the 14th Sunday after Pentecost.

CN: we mention Nazis when discussing the first reading and suicide in the second reading.

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Sep 18, 202336:28
16th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

16th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg (she), the Scholar in Residence at the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 24 or Proper 19, which falls on September 17th this year, including our deep dive into forgiveness! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  If you haven’t bought On Repentance and Repair yet, use this link for 10% off! We mentioned our Advent 3 episode on the Babylonian exile and last week’s episode on responding to abuse.  Rabbi Ruttenberg mentioned working with the organization Jewish Sacred Spaces.  She also mentioned Judge Joseph Flies-Away’s insights into community harm and accountability, and the book The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal


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Sep 11, 202301:17:29
15th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

15th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 23 or Proper 18, which falls on September 10th this year, including our deep dive into responding to abuse. 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Check out church abuse prevention resources like this general one and this volunteer-focused one from Church Mutual.  Also, check out this Safe Church training from the Episcopal Church.  The CDC also has a resource (in English and Spanish) for preventing child abuse at program activities.  New York also came out with some best practices for an abuse-free environment.

If abuse does happen, this resource from the Southwest Minnesota Synod of the ELCA covers everything from preventing to reporting and responding.  This is a great resource to look at community-based intervention.  Abolitionist Tools has many great resources, including ones from Beyond Courts.  This resource specifically focuses on questions to consider when considering responding to harm without involving the criminal justice system.

We mentioned last week’s episode on vengeance, last year’s episode on criminal (in)justice with Dr. Sally Frank, our first season’s episode on prison abolition with Rev. Elle Dowd, this season’s episode on disarmament, and this season’s episode on the Office of the Keys with Bp. Brenda Bos.

CN: we talk about abuse during the deep dive.
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Sep 04, 202301:09:41
14th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

14th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 22 or Proper 17, which falls on September 3rd this year, including our deep dive into vengeance! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more on law and legality, check out this recent Philosophy Tube episode.  Dive deeper into what Sodom and Gomorrah were really about with last year’s episode on the 7th Sunday after Pentecost.  Check out this Jewish Women’s Archive article for more about Dinah.  This is the Movie in 15 Minutes retelling of Troy that Kay mentioned.  For the best theological take on lynching, check out The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone.

CN: we talk about both systemic and interpersonal, including sexual, violence when discussing the deep dive. We mention abuse briefly in the Gospel reading.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Aug 28, 202301:15:46
13th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

13th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Bp. Brenda Bos (she/her) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 21 or Proper 16, which falls on August 27th this year, including our deep dive into the Office of the Keys! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned last week’s episode with the Canaanite woman in Matthew, last season’s Ash Wednesday episode with Aubrey Thonvold on reconciling communities, this season’s Easter Vigil episode with Rabbi Becky Silverstein on midrash, and this season’s 10th Sunday after Pentecost episode with Dr. Amy-Jill Levine on parables.  For more about sheep check out last year’s episode on Easter 4, or Good Shepherd Sunday, with Polly Festa; for more about shame check out our first season episode on the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost with Rev. Callie Swanlund; for more about alcoholism check out last season’s episode on the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany with Rev. Ingrid Brown.

CN: we talk about the holocaust and antisemitism as well as abuse, especially church abuse, when discussing the deep dive.

We talk about abuse in the Gospel conversation.


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Aug 21, 202301:16:16
12th Sunday after Pentecost Year A
Aug 15, 202301:13:41
11th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

11th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 19 or Proper 14, which falls on August 13th this year, including our deep dive into silent contemplative spiritual practices! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We talked about our deep dive into fire from this year’s Pentecost episode and last year’s deep dive into capitalism with Dr. Felipe Maia.   Kay mentioned this NSFW meme of a tree being struck by lightning.

CN: we talk about fasting when discussing the deep dive.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Aug 07, 202351:33
10th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

10th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 18 or Proper 13, which falls on August 6th this year, including our deep dive into the biblical diet! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  To explore what it means to keep kosher, check out this article with kosher basics.  For more about ancient diets, check out Not Bread Alone by Nathan MacDonald.  We also mentioned last year’s episode diving deep into Passover with Rabbi Maurice Appelbaum.

CN: we talk about food a lot throughout the episode and talk about supersessionism briefly in the second reading.


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Jul 31, 202345:10
9th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

9th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Dr. Amy-Jill Levine (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 17 or Proper 12, which falls on July 30th this year, including our deep dive into parables! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We talked about our first season’s Jesus Loafs You Series: A-Bun-Dance on mutual aid with Pete Myers of North Des Moines Mutual Aid; A Friend in Knead on sourdough with Rev. Micah Louwagie; Breadpocalypse on eating disorders with Caitlin Reilley Beck; “Eat me!”-Jesus on embodiment and chef-ing with Liz Williams of The Joyful Body Project and John Webb; and Rye/Wry and Shine on #GayBaking with Rev. Alex Raabe.  We also talked about this season’s episode for the 4th Sunday after Pentecost diving into Jeremiah

Dig deeper into Dr. Levine’s wisdom and work (for kids and adults)!  We especially recommend: Short Stories by Jesus: the Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi and The Jewish Annotated New Testament (edited with Marc Zvi Brettler), both already out. Also, now is a great time to check out her upcoming works: The Gospel of Mark: a Beginner’s Guide to the Good News, geared towards congregational study; and Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians, due out next year and available for pre-order now.

CN: we talk about antisemitic interpretations when discussing the deep dive and biblical stories about rape during the first reading.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jul 24, 202301:20:10
8th Sunday of Pentecost Year A

8th Sunday of Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 16 or Proper 11, which falls on July 23rd this year, including our deep dive into agriculture! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more on the history of agriculture as it connects to colonization, check out this article.  For more general information on agriculture in the United States, check out this article on crops and this article on soybeans.  Check out this tumblr thread Kay mentioned about Squish!  Learn more about the Department of Agriculture here and find out who gets how much in farm subsidies here.  Check out more about the risks of monoculture farming here.  

For more on the impact of family v. corporate farms, check out this article from 2019 or this fact checking article.  For more insights and perspectives on the right to repair lawsuit that farmers won, check out this BBC article and this NPR article.  For more on the Brazilian lawsuit against Monsanto, check out this article.  For more about Monsanto (to be read carefully, as the devil’s in the details), check out this company scorecard description.  Learn more about the harm that Dr. Sarah Taber, who Kay mentioned, did on twitter in this thread.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jul 17, 202301:12:07
7th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

7th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Erin Liu (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 7th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 15 or Proper 10, which falls on July 16th this year, including our deep dive into gardening! 


The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more on the heated tomatoes as fruit and/or vegetable debate, check out this episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class.  For more on dolphins, check out this episode of Ologies.


To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jul 10, 202301:15:07
6th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

6th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 14 or Proper 9, which falls on July 9th this year, including our deep dive into disarmament! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We talked about this article on nuclear missile near misses.  We talked about how the nuclear bomb developed and functions, particularly in the u.s. context. Wikipedia’s nuclear disarmament page is particularly insightful.  For more on challenges to disarmament, check out this article.  The Poor People’s Campaign has done a lot of work around the budget as a moral document.  For more on military spending in the context of the full u.s. budget, check out this article.

We mentioned this season’s episode on the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, diving into the military and ministry with Rev. Adam Dowd, who is part of Veterans for Peace.  We also mentioned last season’s episode on the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany with Rev. Ingrid Brown, diving into alcoholism, addiction, and sobriety.  Kay mentioned this episode of Homebrewed Christianity.

CN: we talk about war in the deep dive and state violence in the first reading.

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Jul 03, 202359:10
5th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

5th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 13 or Proper 8, which falls on July 2nd this year, including our deep dive into obedience! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more on the binding of Isaac, check out this article by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, which is behind a paywall, but you can message to get free access if it’s not otherwise affordable.  We mentioned last week’s episode on Jeremiah, last year’s episode on Sodom and Gomorrah, and our first season’s episode on learning hard things.  For more on Eve, check out this podcast episode from Broadview with special guest and friend of our podcast, River Needham.  Check out this article on the 6 stages of moral development.  Check out the full story on Abraham Shakespeare’s lottery win.

CN: we talk about how obedience has been misused by the church when discussing the deep dive.


To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jun 26, 202301:04:00
4th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

4th Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 4th Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 12 or Proper 7, which falls on June 25th this year, including our deep dive into Jeremiah! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We mentioned our Advent 3 episode this season on the Babylonian Exile and last season’s Easter 2 episode on the book of Revelation.  For a fairly comprehensive overview of the book of Jeremiah, check out Enter the Bible’s page about it.  We also used the article “Jeremiah: Structure, Themes, and Contested Issues” by Mark Leuchter, from The Oxford Handbook of the Prophets edited by Carolyn J. Sharp, though it is behind a paywall, which your local library may or may not help you get around.  Kay mentioned the song “Testify” as performed by Russell Crowe’s band and this biblically accurate angel meme.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Jun 19, 202352:09
3rd Sunday after Pentecost Year A

3rd Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 11 or Proper 6, which falls on June 18th this year, including our deep dive into “evangelical”! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Check out this Bible for Normal People episode to learn more about biblical literalism.  For more about resisting christian nationalism, check out Christians against Christian Nationalism.  Check out Horror Nerds at Church’s Jesus Camp episode for more about the documentary and what it portrays.  Find information about The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill here

CN: we talk about racism, christian nationalism, and sexual misconduct when discussing the deep dive.

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Jun 12, 202301:03:56
2nd Sunday after Pentecost Year A

2nd Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Lectionary 10 or Proper 5, which falls on June 11th this year, including our deep dive into menstruation! 


The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Check out the Museum of Menstruation for more!  Learn more about doctor’s historical beliefs about periods.  Check out this article about amazing activists in Pakistan that we mentioned.  For more on menstruation while incarcerated, check out this Time Magazine article or the second article in the Period Project Series from Ms. Magazine.  Check out this incredible song about Sally Ride’s trip to space and the accompanying tampons provided by literal rocket scientists.  Check out this Abby Cox video on historical menstrual “rags”.  If you are worried (or curious) about using the bathroom in long historical skirts, check out this video from PriorAttire.


We also mentioned our Easter 4B episode from our first season with a deep dive into prison abolition with Rev. Elle Dowd.
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Jun 05, 202301:04:44
Holy Trinity Sunday Year A

Holy Trinity Sunday Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for Holy Trinity Sunday, also known as the first Sunday after Pentecost, which falls on June 4th this year, including our deep dive into prisms! 


The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more on how prisms disperse light, check out this physics lesson.  More information on the history of prisms can be found here.  You can learn more about the early corpuscular theory of light here.  Check out this article for more on clay prisms, connected to biblical history.  This year’s Easter Vigil episode with Rabbi Becky Silverstein has more about merisms, which we mentioned in the first reading.


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May 29, 202355:17
Pentecost Sunday Year A

Pentecost Sunday Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for Pentecost, which falls on May 28th this year, including our deep dive into fire! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Learn more about types of fires and fire extinguishers here.  For more on the ecological benefits of wildfires, check out this National Geographic article.  Check out this picture of fire in space!  It’s always important to heed Smokey the Bear’s campfire safety rules.  Check out more on how fire color changes based on temperature and based on chemicals used.  This Old House has some good tips for leaves and fire safety.  For the top 10 firefighting-related movies, check out this article.  Check out We Need Diverse Books for some awesome new reads!  For more about the New Fire and Easter Vigils, check out last year’s Easter episode.  To dive more into the readings for the Easter Vigil, check out this year’s Easter Vigil episode.  

CN: we mention people killed by asphyxiation when discussing the John 20 reading.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

May 22, 202301:15:37
7th Sunday of Easter Year A

7th Sunday of Easter Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for 7th Sunday of Easter, which falls on May 21st this year, including our deep dive into ecumenism! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Check out more about the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.  Check out more about the Catholic and Coptic churches sharing saints.  We talked about this year’s Easter 5 episode on martyrdom, this year’s Ascension Day episode on UFOs, last year’s Holy Trinity episode on Woman Wisdom, and this year’s Palm Sunday episode on Judas.

For more on ecumenical justice movements, check out the Poor People’s Campaign, the movement of Christians against Christian Nationalism, and the Institute for Welcoming Resources.  For more about ecumenism, check out this article or this article.  We also talked about Star Wars, so check out Horror Nerds at Church’s announcement for their (Revenge of the) Sixth Season!

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

May 15, 202301:02:13
Ascension Year A

Ascension Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Rory Rohloff (he) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for Ascension Day, which falls on May 18th this year, including our deep dive into UFOs! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Rory recommended the podcast Our Strange Skies as well as The Saucer Life for those interested in more UFO podcastery. For past Ascension episodes, check out how our deep dive with Jessica Waller into how a body ascends through the atmosphere, and our deep dive with Rev. Harold Vanicek into the aerodynamics of air travel.  Emily also mentioned this year’s Lent 4 episode deep dive into eyesight.  Kay mentioned the French story of Jeanne Pouchain, who spent years trying to prove she was alive.  Find the Far Side comic Rory mentioned here.  

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

May 10, 202301:15:34
6th Sunday of Easter Year A

6th Sunday of Easter Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Stefanie Kaylor (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 6th Sunday of Easter, which falls on May 14th this year, including our deep dive into polytheism! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Stefanie publishes her zines physically and online here. For some tips on how to identify red flags to avoid neo-nazi symbolism, check out this reddit thread. You can dig into the Digger webcomic here. We talked about the Pixar short, Sanjay’s Super Team. Stefanie recommended the following books: the Daevabad series by S.A. Chakraborty, The Unfortunates by J.K. Chukwu, and Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Matt Parker, plus Coyote & Crow, a cool new tabletop role playing game.

CN: we talk briefly about neo-nazi imagery when discussing the deep dive.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

May 08, 202301:09:26
5th Sunday of Easter Year A

5th Sunday of Easter Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 5th Sunday of Easter, which falls on May 7th this year, including our deep dive into martyrdom! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more about the disciples’ lives (and deaths), check out this year’s Easter 3 episode.  More on Paul can be found in last year’s Easter 3 episode.  You can explore the connection between martyrdom and sainthood in our All Saints episode from our first season and our deep dive into Oscar Romero for Lent 5 in our first season.  For more on the self-immolation of some Buddhist monks, check out this article.  Emily mentioned the movie Sunshine, which Horror Nerds At Church covered last season.


CN: we talk about martyrdom and killing when discussing the deep dive and the Acts reading.


To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

May 01, 202348:39
4th Sunday of Easter Year A

4th Sunday of Easter Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) and special guest Rev. Anna Blaedel (they) of enfleshed to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, which falls on April 30th this year, including our deep dive into ritual! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  We talked about the Trans Halakha Project, which Rabbi Becky mentioned during our Easter Vigil episode.  We also mentioned our Palm/Passion deep dive into Judas.  For more of a focus on sheep and shepherding, check out last year’s Good Shepherd episode with Polly Festa!  The new enfleshed podcast can be found here.

CN: we mention the KKK and talk about responding to transphobia and other violence in the deep dive.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Apr 24, 202301:09:05
3rd Sunday of Easter Year A

3rd Sunday of Easter Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, which falls on April 23rd this year, including our deep dive into the disciples! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  For more about Revelation, written by John of Patmos, check out last year’s Easter 2 deep dive.  To learn more about Judas, check out this year’s Palm/Passion Sunday episode.  Kay mentioned Jesus Christ Superstar, which we did a deep dive on for last year’s Palm/Passion Sunday.  For more on the Beloved Disciple and John, check out this year’s deep dive into the Gospel of John.  For more on Paul, check out last year’s Easter 3 deep dive.  For more on the Mary and Martha conversation, check out our Lent 5 episode from this year.  Check out Brian Moller, Emily’s favorite generational differences TikToker.  For more on bread, check out our Bread of Life series from our first season.

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Apr 17, 202355:05
2nd Sunday of Easter Year A

2nd Sunday of Easter Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for the second Sunday of Easter, which falls on April 16th this year, including our deep dive into biblical resurrections! 


The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  Check out the full stories in scripture for all the people we talk about who are resurrected.  For more resurrection tropes, check out this TV Tropes link.  For more on Christ’s resurrection specifically, check out our first season’s Easter Day episode.  For more on what happened to Hitler’s body to keep it from being a site of pilgrimage, check out this article


CN: we briefly talk about the disposal of Hitler’s body when discussing the first reading.
To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Apr 10, 202342:11
Easter Sunday Year A

Easter Sunday Year A

Join Rev. Emily E. Ewing (they) and Rev. Kay Rohloff (she) to explore new and nerdy connections to the scripture for Easter Sunday, also known as Resurrection of Our Lord, which falls on April 9th this year, including our deep dive into baby animals! 

The scripture we refer to for this episode can be found here.  If you want John’s Gospel account, check out this year’s Easter Vigil episode with Rabbi Becky Silverstein.  For a reminder about whether or not bunnies and Jesus can lay eggs, check out this tweet.  For more on the science of looking at baby animals, check out this Psychological Science article and this article from a neuroscience perspective.  Check out the new eagle family in Decorah on the live Eagle Cam.  Learn how chickens lay eggs in this video.  Also, this article explains the phenomenon of “fairy” eggs.  For more about the many kinds of animals that lay eggs, check out this article.  To get your fill of pictures of baby animals, check out this Photocrowd photo contest or this VIEWBUG photo contest or this Reader’s Digest collection of photos!

To support Nerds At Church, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier for extra perks and bonus content including uncut guest episodes, Live Q&As, merch, and more.  If becoming a paying supporter isn't possible right now, please leave us a review instead — it helps sustain the show and spread the word!  Check us out on Facebook & Twitter at @NerdsAtChurch to connect!

Apr 03, 202353:05