It’s possible to lean into hope to such a degree that responsibility for action can seem either unneeded or futile. That’s just one of the important observations this week’s guest, Brian McLaren, makes to host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush on The State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio program and podcast. Brian’s latest book is Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart. In an age of truly global crises such as climate change, Brian critiques religious attitudes that dismiss present-world concerns in favor of the afterlife, arguing that this mindset contributes to environmental neglect and social injustices.

“Hope is a great psychological benefit. But like any good thing, it can become pathological, it can become unhelpful. And, when we face our current situation in all its complexity, I think what we need is a different kind of hope, a deeper hope.”

-Brian McLaren, author, speaker, activist, and public theologian.

Paul also welcomes Interfaith Alliance Senior Director of Field and Organizing Maureen O’Leary and Pride Peacebuilders co-founder Frankie Leigh to discuss this year’s Faith for Pride initiative, which focuses on safety for attendees and tracking incidents of threats and violence, as well as expert training on conflict de-escalation.

“All of the times that I have successfully de-escalated someone who is angry or agitated has been because I’ve been willing to listen to them.”

-Frankie Leigh, Pride Peacebuilders co-founder and Utah Tech University instructor