We Pray Freedom: Ritual, Solidarity, and the Soul of Revolution

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis and Dr. Charon Hribar about their book on prayer and ritual in the context of social justice.

In our seventh episode of the season, we sit down with Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis and Dr. Charon Hribar to explore the decades-long lineage behind their new book, We Pray Freedom: Liturgies & Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor . We Pray Freedom is rooted in an active, justice-building understanding of prayer and ritual—embodied practices that sustain, empower, and transform. “Drawn from the struggles and wisdom of poor and dispossessed communities, these liturgies reclaim the sacred as collective action for a world where all can thrive. In a society steeped in the rituals of empire, these prayers insist that the leadership, dignity, and traditions of the poor are not only holy—they are essential to building a just and life-affirming future.” - https://weprayfreedom.org/about/ In our conversation, Liz and Charon remind us that these prayers and rituals were never abstract ideas. They were (and are) embodied—held in protest chants, in courthouse-step litanies, in the courage of people showing up week after week demanding dignity, fairness, housing, and the right to be fully human. They come from the slow labor of friendship, from the everyday work of the Freedom Church of the…

People in this episode

Hosts: Lauren Grubaugh Thomas, Hannah Curtis

Guests: Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Dr. Charon Hribar

Topics covered

• prayer
• ritual
• social justice
• community empowerment
• collective action

Keywords

• freedom
• liturgies
• empowerment
• protest
• community
• justice

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: We Pray Freedom: Liturgies & Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor

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