About

Hi!

I'm Channing. I'm an essayist and poet with a focus on spirituality, nature, and self-love. I have a passion for learning and sharing. Most of the time you'll find me with my nose in a book, penning an Instagram post, or watering my veggie garden; that is, when I'm not making yet another cup of cocoa for my two young kids. I currently teach Gospel Doctrine for my ward in Syracuse, Utah, where I live in the cutest 50-year-old house with my husband, two children, and our pup Lulu.

and I'm Elise. I'm a thinker who values stretching ideas in multiple directions and asks lots of questions along the way. I teach communication courses at Arizona State University, but my true love lies in feminist and liberation theology. When I'm not teaching, I love finding art, books, and music to learn from and share with others.

We're both pretty cool on our own, but combining our talents and knowledge basically makes us a power couple. We noticed a unique and growing need within the LDS community, so together we created The Faithful Feminists: A Come Follow Me podcast. This podcast is an educational and empowering resource focusing on gospel principles in a feminist context through approachable and loving conversations.

This is not just any Come Follow Me podcast - we do things a little differently here. Each week we discuss the text's themes and gospel principles, but we also ask questions like:

• What is the context of this story? Does context change the current understanding of the text?
• Who is missing from the text? 
• What resources can we pull from for greater understanding and clarity?
• Are there statements or ideas presented in or interpreted from this text that are harmful to women?
• What additional insight can we offer to make this story empowering and relevant for women today?
• What aspects of feminism relate to this story?
• What is the most loving and liberating interpretation of the text?

Though Come Follow Me and feminism can both be pretty heavy topics, we balance serious with our (mostly reverent) sass and humor. Our hope is that every episode is both an exhale of relief and comfort and an invitation to new questions, ideas, and further study. Most of all, we want you to find friendship with us. We are the girls who save a seat for you on the soft chairs and back up your comments in class, because that is what faith and feminism both do: love one another and make room for everyone.

You'll also hear us discuss hermeneutics, or the art of interpretation, on the podcast. If you'd like to learn more, we encourage you to visit the website for the International Institute for Hermeneutics at iih-hermeneutics.org

So whether you're here because you're teaching the lesson on Sunday or you're just looking for a really good podcast, we've got your back. Check out our episodes here on the site, or find us on Itunes, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.