This week on Slipping Up, Mike sits down with theologian, youth advocate, and author Khristi Lauren Adams to explore how Christian institutions have failed to protect, affirm, and empower some of society’s most vulnerable—especially young Black girls. Drawing on her book Womanish Theology, Khristi invites us into a conversation about trust, harm, recovery, and what it means to reclaim agency within a faith tradition that often excludes the very people Jesus prioritized.
💥 In this episode:
Why failure in Christian spaces is more than moral lapses—it’s structural abandonment
How Black girls develop theology in the face of systemic erasure
The tension between belonging and survival in church spaces
How youth ministry can either reinforce oppression or awaken liberation
The importance of collective imagination, hope, and storytelling
Khristi doesn’t just name the failure—she points to paths forward: through courage, through listening, through the theology being lived out by young women every day. If you've ever asked, “Where is the church when it matters most?”, this conversation will challenge, move, and inspire you.
About Khristi Lauren Adams
Khristi Lauren Adams is a speaker, author, youth advocate, and ordained Baptist minister. Her most recent book, Womanish Theology: Reclaiming Black Girlhood, Faith, and Freedom, follows the voices of Black girls as they build their own theology in the face of institutions that fail them. She also wrote Parable of the Brown Girl, and her work centers around the sacred wisdom of young Black women and girls. A dedicated educator and spiritual guide, Khristi uses storytelling, theology, and justice-centered ministry to create liberating spaces for youth.
📚 Explore Her Work
📖 Womanish Theology
🔗 Buy on Amazon
📖 Parable of the Brown Girl
🔗 Buy on Amazon
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