Author, Speaker, Pastor
Rohadi Nagassar
Free Weekly Newsletter & E-Book
On deconstructing and decolonizing faith. New subscribers also receive my FREE E-book on anti-racism and the church.
When We Belong
Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins
If you’ve been searching for language to describe a faith and community where you can live out your whole being…I’ve got a couple ideas. Step into a journey toward liberation, belonging, and a faith that makes you whole again.
We need belonging to survive and thrive. For Christians who know the pain, isolation, and loss of identity that comes with the ongoing struggle to be seen in churches and institutions full of barriers to belonging, you are not alone. Sometimes it can feel easier to walk away from faith completely. But there is another way. When it feels as though there’s no place left to belong, Jesus invites us into a love that knows no bounds and a community that truly liberates.
“Well researched and passionately argued, this should be required reading for justice-minded churchgoers.” – Publishers Weekly
Endorsements for When We Belong
Podcast Episodes
#61 – How to Read the Bible with Karen Keen (Part 2)
Biblical interpretation that does not result in love of God and neighbor is incorrect and compels you to go back and interpret again. Rohadi invites Karen Keen back for Part 2 of a small series on How to Read the Bible. What do we do with the way we’ve been formed...
#60 – How (Not) to Read the Bible with Karen Keen (Part 1)
Do you have a complicated relationship with the Bible? This episode (in two parts) is for you. Are you struggling to figure out how to interpret scripture without past baggage? Wondering if there is a different way to move forward especially coming out of traditions...
#59 – Rohadi Talks Revival. How Might We Know and Who Gets to Name
Have a listen to the latest podcast episode for some hahas, a blast into the worship past, and insight on REVIVAL! One thing is for sure, you don't name a movement 'revival' before it even gets started. Yes. I went there, and a lot of white evangelicals ain't gonna be...
#58 – Why Do Some Christians Hate the World?
A short little Bible study in this episode on the Faith in a Fresh Vibe podcast. Stemming from regular occurrences of oft cited cultural events that conservative Christians decry for whatever moral reason, Rohadi ponders the question, "why do some (conservative)...
#57 – Can the Church Decolonize? Rohadi and Patty Krawec (Part 2)
Part 2 in our two part episode centers around Patty's latest book, Becoming Kin. I begin with the question about the way forward: what does a decolonized and liberating community look like? Patty responds by sharing a story she recounts in her book about the deer. The...
#56 – Patty Krawec on Becoming Kin and Finding Your Identity (Part 1)
Every episode begins with two questions: where are you situated (the traditional lands on which you dwell), and who are your people. Patty is located in the Niagara region which is Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee territory. Listen as she shares a marvellous story about...
#55 – On the Anti-Racist Enneagram with Jessica D. Dickson
Have you ever heard of the Enneagram? From church groups to corporate development, the Enneagram is a tool used to help find your personality type. Increasingly, church groups are adopting the tool in their small groups and leadership development. But what if, like so...
From the Blog
Why Do Some Christians Hate the World?
There's a curious feature in religious conservatism that reaches to control what everyone, religious or not, does or thinks. We are all familiar with this phenomenon. Some of you have lived it. Take for instance the recent GRAMMY Awards show or Super Bowl performance....
My Top Books of 2022
Here is my annual list of the top books I read in 2022. Most of them came out in 2022 except for one. In no particular order: My book, "When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins." by me. Thank you to everyone who bought a copy, left a review, and told a...
Massive Declines – 2011-2021 Religious Affiliation Numbers in Canada
Stats Canada data on religious affiliation is out with the 2021 census data and the numbers are confirming some trends regarding Christian affiliations. Here are the highlights as I see them, comparing some key denominations. This builds off of my my book Thrive....
Helpful Tips to Publish and Write Your Book
Posted in 2019 and reposted. Writers will tell you they just have to write. That's why we do it. My mind, body, and soul compel me to write. It's not only a cathartic release and a form of therapy, but it's a craft I've committed to. Some days writing beats me,...
When churches try to be too cool
One day, I was walking in a cool and artsy inner-city neighborhood and was handed a little flyer card not once, not twice, but thrice, in a span of a block by dudes from a church promoting their monthly 'parachute into the neighborhood' service. I knew who it was so I...
What the ‘Billy Graham Rule’ Says About Leaders
Originally posted in April 2017 and reposted. The Billy Graham rule is sexist. Full stop. And reveals deeply seated problems in evangelical formation surrounding patriarchy and the devaluing of women. The United States Vice-President Mike Pence, is in the middle of a...
More On the Model Minority Myth
As we wind down Asian Heritage Month (AAPI History Month in the USA), I am republishing a short thread on the model minority myth that I recently posted on Twitter. I have written on this subject before, noting the "terms and conditions" Asian folks need to adhere to....