🤖 What happens when an ex-campus minister turned agnostic writes a novel about AI Jesus?
You get this wide-ranging and deeply moving conversation between Corey and Lisa Rose Ferrara—writer of the Substack The Dangling Door and author of the novel CHRISTBOT. Lisa doesn’t just reflect on the absurdities of our sociopolitical moment—she rewrites the rules of faith, technology, and identity with humor and radical compassion.
Lisa shares her journey from devout Catholicism and youth ministry to faith deconstruction and reimagination. We explore how her latest work—a b...
🤖 What happens when an ex-campus minister turned agnostic writes a novel about AI Jesus?
You get this wide-ranging and deeply moving conversation between Corey and Lisa Rose Ferrara—writer of the Substack The Dangling Door and author of the novel CHRISTBOT. Lisa doesn’t just reflect on the absurdities of our sociopolitical moment—she rewrites the rules of faith, technology, and identity with humor and radical compassion.
Lisa shares her journey from devout Catholicism and youth ministry to faith deconstruction and reimagination. We explore how her latest work—a bold novella that envisions Jesus as an AI—offers not just commentary but a challenge to the weaponization of religion.
In this episode, Lisa Rose and Corey dive into:
-
Parenting non-binary children in an age of cultural backlash,
-
How the AI “Christbot” became a vessel for radical empathy,
-
Why she still writes with reverence for scripture despite being agnostic,
-
What it's like growing up around MAGA family while staying grounded in truth and love.
This is a conversation that will shake your theology and maybe even upgrade your soul software.
⏱️ Timestamps & Key Topics
[00:00] Welcome & Lisa’s background in design, motherhood, and rediscovering writing
[00:04] From New Jersey to Pennsylvania: raising three kids, two of whom are non-binary
[00:07] Lisa’s early Catholic faith, crisis during youth ministry, and journey to atheism
[00:13] Crafting CHRISTBOT: origin story, character inspirations, and narrative arc
[00:18] AI as theological mirror: using tech, Scripture, and saints to build a digital messiah
[00:24] On dogma, power, and why organized religion fears open-source faith
[00:29] Resistance through satire and the cultural absurdities that fuel her Substack
[00:33] Reflecting on the 2024 election: hope, Gen Z activism, and small-town politics
[00:38] TP&R question: Practicing compassion without requiring belief
[00:44] On family disagreements, MAGA relatives, and bridging political divides
[00:49] Corey’s origin story: from fundamentalist church to conversation bridge-builder
[00:57] Final reflections & Lisa’s upcoming book launch at Black Dog Books (Nov 14!)
🧠 Key Takeaways
-
Faith isn’t broken—its weaponization is. Lisa challenges listeners to rethink what it means to believe by showcasing compassion as the central metric, not dogma.
-
Parenting in a polarized world means being present, humble, and fiercely loving—especially when your children’s identities are up for debate.
-
AI + Scripture = Radical Love. CHRISTBOT imagines a digital messiah who quotes Julian of Norwich and says, “Belief is not the price of love.” Yes, please.
-
Satire is spiritual armor. Lisa’s Substack The Dangling Door is her defibrillator for democratic discourse—a way to laugh instead of scream.
-
Compassion transcends belief. Whether you're religious, agnostic, or somewhere in between, practicing empathy without expectation is revolutionary.
💬 Notable Quotes
“Belief is not the price of love. You do not need to believe in me, for me to believe in you.”
“I realized I wasn’t anti-religion. I was anti-weaponization of religion.”
“Faith should be dynamic. It should invite questions, not silence them.”
“Don’t talk about politics and religion? You might as well render me mute.”
“We’re not disagreeing on what we want—just how to get there.”
📣 Calls to Action
✅ Tell a friend about TP&R! Help spread thoughtful conversation.
✅ Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
✅ Leave a review at ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics
✅ Check out our Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com
✅ Watch & subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion
🔗 Connect
Lisa Rose Ferrara on Substack, The Dangling Door — thedanglingdoor.substack.com
Lisa's website: lisaroseferrara.com
You can also buy CHRISTBOT here: bit.ly/christbot_LRF_book
Corey is @coreysnathan on...
- Substack
- LinkedIn
- Facebook
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Threads
- Bluesky
- TikTok
🎙️ Our Sponsors:
And we are proud to be members of The Democracy Group: democracygroup.org
Thanks for tuning in! Now go talk politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️✨
