What if the deepest experience of God’s grace happens not in the sanctuary, but in the church basement? Jennifer Carlier joins Elizabeth “Ebby” Arnold to explore how addiction, recovery, and honest vulnerability can reshape our understanding of faith, community, and what it means to practice grace together.
This episode invites us to rethink how church spaces—and our own stories—can become places of healing, connection, and real transformation. Whether you’re interested in theology, church life, or simply what it means to walk alongside others, Carlier’s insights offer a fresh perspective on Christian community.
In her new book, Finding God in the Basement: Reimagining a Theology of Addiction and Recovery, Carlier, Associate Dean for Academic Programs at Columbia Theological Seminary, shares how her own journey through addiction recovery led her to discover grace and love in church basement communities in ways she had not experienced in the sanctuary. Drawing on the Exodus narrative and the practice of 12-step communities, Carlier explores how churches can learn from recovery communities to cultivate vulnerability, mutual accountability, and authentic practices of grace. The conversation examines how confession, community, and shared vulnerability can reshape the church’s approach to addiction, shame, and healing.
The Candler in Conversation Podcast series is produced in partnership with The Candler Foundry. Explore faith, ministry, scholarship, and vocation with Candler faculty, staff, students and alumni.
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