Banquet of Belonging: Faith, Food & the Psychology of Healing: A Radix Live Conversation with Jeannie E. Celestial

A Conversation with Psychologist & Best-Selling Author Jeannie E. Celestial

Many from marginalized communities suffer from the mental health impacts of oppression and discrimination. Dr. Jeannie Celestial, co-author of Clinical Interventions for Internalized Oppression, shares her discoveries about possibilities for healing, particularly among women of color, through the lens of mental health practices and Christian faith. In this, Dr. Celestial explores the role of "food as medicine," which richly informs The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook, her culinary offering that has sold worldwide.

Dr. Celestial is a licensed clinical psychologist, currently serving in the San Francisco Unified School District through RAMS, a large social services agency in the Bay Area. She has over two decades of experience in healing and transformational practices. She employs EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), Brainspotting, CBT, ACT, and other modalities in her work. Dr. Celestial earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University, with emphases in Clinical Neuropsychology and Meditation and Psychology.…

Karen González on Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration

Karen González is a speaker, writer, storyteller, and immigrant advocate who herself immigrated from Guatemala as a child. Karen is a former public school teacher and attended Fuller Theological Seminary, where she studied theology and missiology. For the last 17 years, she has been a non-profit professional. She wrote a book about her own immigration story and some of the immigrants found in the Bible: The God Who Sees: Immigrants, The Bible, and the Journey to Belong (Herald Press, May 2019). Karen’s second book is Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in our Christian Response to Immigration (Brazos Press, October 2022). She also has bylines in Sojourners, Christianity Today, The Christian Century, and others.

In this interview, Karen digs into the concept of hospitality (which can be subversive!), where traditional boundaries are challenged by bringing together people from all walks of life—immigrants, students, the unhoused, and community members—as equals. Through real-life examples, the conversation explores the discomfort and growth that arise when we share space with those we might not otherwise encounter. Karen highlights the power of genuine hospitality to break down social barriers, foster mutual respect, and create inclusive communities where everyone is valued. Ultimately, Karen’s books and this conversation point to the need to reimagine hospitality as a radical, transformative act that centers dignity and equality for all.…

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