Finding your Way Out of Shame | S.J. Parrott
In this deeply honest and theologically rich episode of The Upwards Podcast, host Jean Geran sits down with philosopher and biblical scholar S.J. (Shannon) Parrott for a wide‑ranging conversation on shame—what it is, how it forms, and how the transforming presence of Christ meets us in our most vulnerable places.
Drawing from her own story, her research on metaphors of clothing and nakedness, and her current work on shame in the Psalms, Shannon helps us see why shame can feel like a “roadblock” to becoming who we truly are in Christ.
Together, Jean and Shannon explore:
· What shame is (and what it’s not)
· The “singularity” of shame and how it distorts identity
· Why community is essential when shame pushes us toward isolation
· How Jesus meets and reorients identity in stories like the Samaritan woman and Zacchaeus
· The role of prayer, Scripture, and the Psalms in forming a new shame‑resistant identity
· Shannon’s own pivotal experience of discovering who she is in Christ
· The difference between shame, guilt, humiliation, and shamelessness
· How cultivating openness to God and others allows transformation
·This is a conversation full of hope, clarity, and practical wisdom for anyone navigating questions of identity, healing, and spiritual formation.
Resources Mentioned: S.J. Parrott’s Friday Night Lectures at Upper House
Psalm 71; Psalm 45; stories of the Samaritan woman (John 4) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19)
Book by John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us (Blessing for the Traveler)