James Alison Theology

Category: Audio

  • Why do we scapegoat?

    James Alison says scapegoating is one of our oldest social behaviours. But casting someone out to maintain group cohesion has its obvious drawbacks — particularly for the person taking the fall! As a gay Catholic priest, Dr Alison was drawn to the work of French polymath René Girard, who proposed that scapegoating is not the…

  • Andrew Sullivan’s The Dishcast

    Author, editor and blogger Andrew Sullivan is talking to James about his life, faith, sexuality, Church and all in between.

  • Priceless Podcast Interview

    James talks to the Priceless Podcast about his journey to becoming a priest and what is happening within the church.

  • On pastoral care of LGBTQ+ community

    A presentation and discussion organised by the Irish Association of Catholic Priests.

  • Gay, Grace & René Girard: Inverse podcast

    James Alison is interviewed by Jarod McKenna based in Perth, Australia, for the Inverse podcast.

  • Queerology podcast

    James discusses his faith journey, René Girard and mimetic theory, the scapegoat mechanism, Sacred (or Holy) vs. Mysticism (or Mythification) of Divine as churches crumble, intelligence of victim, and grace and growth.

  • Gay priest James Alison says “Deal With It”

    Vine and Fig podcast co-founder Pat Gothman and his fiancé Jacob Flores interview James Alison about his phone call with Pope Francis, what he thinks Pope Francis wants to happen in the Church on LGBTQ issues, why the gay issue is more an emotional issue for the Church than a theological one, the unique spiritual…

  • From the outside in

    A Canadian podcast, Ferment, invited James Alison for a lively conversation. In the producers’ words, James Alison might insist that he is “fairly clearly not an authority, and often just a silly old queen,” but underneath his mirth and modesty lies an exceptional theological depth. America: The Jesuit Review hails this institutional outsider as an authority who “belongs…

  • Nomad podcast

    It’s a word we’re all familiar with, it’s through the violence of the scapegoating mechanism that civilisations are built. And, it is through the scapegoating mechanism that the cross heals. It’s a fascinating way of understanding the atonement, especially for those of us disillusioned with models of atonement that require a violent God.

  • One in Christ: why do LGBTQI people feel excluded by the Churches?

    An audio recording of James Alison and Sarah Bachelard discussing the meaning of homosexuality for today. – Why has a natural human orientation so often been cruelly punished and persecuted by church authorities? Why do churches still split over the issue? A SoundCloud stream (87 minutes) Sarah Bachelard is a theologian, retreat leader and priest in Anglican…

  • Christ Crucified: the power of God and the wisdom of God

    Transcribed by Rev. Karen Hanson from the audio recording of the talk given to the Leeds Church Institute (Leeds, England) in April 2018. Good afternoon. Well, thank you very, very much for having me and thank you for challenging me to come up with something I hope may be useful to talk about. One of the challenges…

  • Scapegoating, violence and the theology of the Cross

    On the Way podcast, episode 9: Scapegoating, Violence and the Theology of the Cross.

  • Biography and interview on the LGBT Religious Archives Network website

    James’ biography and interview (audio and text) on the LGBT Religious Archives Network website (2014)

  • Not peace but a sword

    A radio programme of the Australian broadcaster RN featuring James Alison and other guests in a discussion of religion and violence, 22 November 2014 (stream, download and transcript)

  • Interview for the Sunday Nights radio programme

    Interview for Sunday Nights programme of ABC Local Radio, Australia (stream and MP3 download)

  • Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

    Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Lent (Lazarus) given at St Leo’s Parish, Tacoma, USA on 6 April 2014 [streaming].

  • About desire, victimhood and René Girard

    James Alison talks about desire, victimhood and René Girard to the Encounter programme of the Australian RN radiostation, 12 December 2012 (stream and download)

  • Playing for Keeps

    James joined the Playing for Keeps radio show to explore how The Hunger Games and chapter 7 of the Old Testament book of Joshua have something very important in common: a lottery in which the winners get to die for the sake of the community. A transcript of the podcast recorded by the Raven Foundation. Adam Ericksen: Hello and welcome to…

  • Sexuality, certainty and salvation

    In this interview with the Australian broadcaster ABC, James Alison reflects on his own experience as a gay Catholic, on the givenness of sexual orientation, and on what he calls “the shape of God’s affection”. (Audio and transcript)

  • On being Catholic and gay, René Girard and penal substitution

    James Alison speaks to the Sunday Nights programme of the Australian radio station ABC Local. (stream and download)

  • Sermon at the House of Mercy

    Stream and download

  • Exploring the New Testament clobber texts

    Following on from dealing with the Old Testament clobber texts at Greenbelt Festival in the previous year, James explores what the New Testament has to say about homosexuality. Stream and download

  • Stand up & be godless: on receiving the gift

    A talk at the Greenbelt Festival, August 2007 Is the gift of faith just a form of emotional blackmail, or something that can set us free? Stream and download

  • Holy Week Sermons

    All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia (10 – 12 April 2006) Monday Isaiah 42:1-9, John 12:1-11 I want to say how very honoured I am that you should trust me enough to allow me into your lives at this sacred time. If Lent is like a long drawn out visit to the dentist, Holy Week is…

  • The shape of daring imagination: coming out and coming home

    Sixth National Symposium on Catholicism and Homosexuality (Minneapolis, USA, March 2007) Listen to on SoundCloud  In this transcription, ‘…’ indicates a pause, not a cut or an edit We started to look this morning at what it is like to be scandalised, and the beginnings of moving beyond scandal. And I’d like to go back…

  • Navigating uncharted waters: the gift of faith and growing up LGBT

    Sixth National Symposium on Catholicism and Homosexuality (Minneapolis, USA, March 2007)  Listen to on SoundCloud Please note that in this transcription, ‘…’ indicates a pause, not a cut or an edit The first point which I’d like to make, in a sense, is a big sigh of relief. And the sigh of relief is as…

  • Dealing with the clobber texts

    A talk at the Greenbet Festival, August 2006 Does the Bible have anything at all to say about homosexuality? Reading texts through the eyes of the Attorney for the Defence (and what else is a “Paraclete?”) will give us the outline of reasonable doubt. Stream and download See also the Exploring the New Testament clobber…