Wil Gafney & The Sanctified Imagination (Part 1)

Welcome to Season 10 of The Collective Table Podcast, which we are calling The 50.5%. This season, we are bringing a series of eight episodes which will center the voices, experiences, and wisdom of women who make up more than half of the global population yet have often been sidelined or marginalized. We will engage with women theologians, creatives, and leaders to explore the Divine Feminine, the urgent importance of women in church leadership, and the patriarchal norms that have shaped domineering Christianity and how the progressive church can embrace truer expressions of Spirit.

This week, we are thrilled to bring you part one of our conversation with the brilliant Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney, renowned biblical scholar, theologian, and author. Dr. Gafney invites us to explore the transformative practice of reading Scripture with a sanctified imagination—a way of engaging the Bible that challenges patriarchal and colonial interpretations while uncovering the richness of diverse perspectives.

In this episode, Claire and Jason begin to unpack how this approach reshapes our understanding of God, ourselves, and the world around us. Dr. Gafney’s wisdom will inspire you to see the Bible not as a static text but as a living, dynamic invitation to empathy, justice, and connection.

Don’t miss part two of this conversation, coming out February 17, where we dive even deeper into her work and insights.

Find more about Dr. Wil Gafney and her work at wilgafney.com.

Some questions to consider after listening: 

• How have you noticed or experienced the marginalizing of women’s voices and perspectives in the church?
• How do you feel your body responding to Dr. Gafney's statement that, “If it’s not good for the black woman, it’s not good for anyone”?
• How does the idea of interpreting scripture through a “sanctified imagination” or employing Jewish midrash differ from what you have been taught?