A Theology of Softness: Black Imagination, Collective Liberation & Living “Enfleshed”

About this episode

The episode explores the concept of faith rooted in softness and tenderness as a form of resistance, featuring a conversation with theologian Robert Monson.

Hello Soulful Revolutionaries, Lately, we have been thinking about the kind of faith that begins not in certainty, but in softness. About how, in the midst of ache, disaster, dysfunction, and unrest, tenderness might still be a radical act of resistance, a way of remaking the world in love. In this week’s conversation, we sit down with theologian, writer, PhD student, and co-director of enfleshed , Robert Monson, whose life and work rise from the rich soil of Black liberation theology and womanist wisdom. As a Black disabled man, Robert invites us to consider how our bodies—especially those the world deems “unfit”—are sacred sites of divine encounter. We talk about enfleshed’s mission to create spiritual resources for marginalized communities, about imagination is gas for a car, “the animating life force” doubling as a tool for liberation, and about the holy practice of softness in a world that religiously confuses hardness for strength. Robert helps us glimpse a God who is curious and adaptive, who companions us through pain and joy alike, and who delights in the fullness of who we are. We invite you to soak in this conversation—and in Robert’s closing blessing: a reminder that…

People in this episode

Hosts: Lauren Grubaugh Thomas, Hannah Curtis

Guest: Robert Monson

Topics covered

• theology
• softness
• Black liberation
• collective liberation
• spirituality
• resistance

Keywords

• softness
• faith
• Black liberation theology
• spiritual resources
• imagination
• divine encounter
• resistance
• tenderness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: enfleshed

Books & works: Black liberation theology, womanist wisdom

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