Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Good Faith
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Truth About Our Trauma Can Set Us Free (with Dan Allender) | 26 Oct 2024 | 00:54:35 | |
Why is truth-telling so hard to do within the church? Host Curtis Chang and renowned therapist and author Dan Allender explore the complex crossroads of theology and psychology, tracing the evolving, sometimes fraught relationship between the Christian church and therapy. With warmth and candor, Dr. Allender shares both his love for and ambivalence toward psychotherapy, reflecting on how it can challenge our understanding of the role trauma plays in the search for God’s truth. Together, they invite listeners to consider how an imaginative rethinking of the "war within you" can open new pathways to authentic worship. Drawing upon material from a past conversation, this episode will inspire a continued reimagining of therapy’s place in faith communities.
Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening
Join us for the following The After Party/Good Faith virtual events: October 28th pre-election podcast recording November 4th all-comers election eve noontime prayer November 6th post-election podcast recording
Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church. Bring The After Party course to your church or small group! Enter to win the Good Faith Book Giveaway: The After Party Edition!
Referenced in this Episode
More From Dan Allender:
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| What We Get Wrong About Heaven (with Skye Jethani) | 19 Oct 2024 | 00:48:20 | |
"What if much of what you’ve been told about Heaven was incorrect?" Host Curtis Chang is joined by Skye Jethani, author and co-host of the Holy Post podcast, for a conversation about the widespread misconceptions of Heaven. Together, they unpack why many of us have been asking the wrong questions about Heaven. For instance, rather than asking “Is Heaven real?" or “Who is going to Heaven?” Christians are called by Jesus to make Heaven more real in the here and now, including in our vocation, family, and even how we care for the Earth. Join them in this shift from a Heaven-focused faith to a Christ-centered practice that brings Heaven and Earth closer together than you might have imagined.
Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening
Join us for the following The After Party/Good Faith virtual events: October 28th pre-election podcast recording November 4th all-comers election eve noontime prayer November 6th post-election podcast recording
Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church. Bring The After Party course to your church or small group! Enter to win the Good Faith Book Giveaway: The After Party Edition!
Referenced in this Episode
More From Skye Jethani:
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| How New Worship Songs Can Help Heal Our Politically Divided Church and Nation (with Matt Maher, Sandra McCracken, Jon Guerra, Dee Wilson, Isaac Wardell, and Kate Bluett) | 17 Aug 2024 | 01:03:42 | |
Curtis Chang and worship leader Isaac Wardell are joined by renowned musicians Matt Maher, Sandra McCracken, and Jon Guerra, alongside poet Kate Bluett and Grammy-winning songwriter Dee Wilson. These talented artists are pivotal contributors to The Porter's Gate's worship album for the Redeeming Babel project, The After Party. They share their unique perspectives on how worship music can help navigate the current political challenges faced by American churches of all denominations. The group also offers an inside look at the creative process behind powerful tracks like "The Kingdom of Jesus," "The Lord Will Have His Way," and more.
Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!
Referenced in this episode by Curtis and his guests:
Learn more about our guests:
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| Anxiety as Opportunity | 15 Oct 2022 | 01:05:54 | |
Anxiety is everywhere. It feels as though it is at crisis levels individually, and is also spilling over into our culture at large, particularly in the political arena. This week David and Curtis are joined by a live studio audience in Washington, DC to talk about our personal and cultural anxiety. Fortunately, they also offer some good news. Drawing upon Curtis’ upcoming book “The Anxiety Opportunity”, we learn how Christians can actually view anxiety as an opportunity to grow closer to a Savior who was constantly approached by anxious people, and who experienced very real human anxiety himself. Show Notes: Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org Produced by Kris Carter | |||
| Personal Finance & Spiritual/Practical Wisdom with James Choi | 08 Oct 2022 | 01:05:11 | |
Are Christians called to navigate their finances differently from everyone else? Are the oft-repeated directives to save aggressively and avoid all debt either scriptural or wise? Is it possible that spiritual wisdom and practical wisdom are sometimes one and the same? Join David and Curtis in this excellent discussion with James Choi, Professor of Finance at Yale. As a Christian and a behavioral economist, James brings both spiritual and practical wisdom to the area of personal finance and exposes where some of our most popular financial gurus might be giving us poor advice. Show Notes: -Derek Thompson (The Atlantic) - All the Personal-Finance Books Are Wrong -Why I am a Christian (James Choi) Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org Produced by Kris Carter | |||
| Educational Equity with Ruth López Turley | 01 Oct 2022 | 01:08:35 | |
Raise yourself up by your own bootstraps. This is a refrain we hear all the time, especially as Americans catechized in the dogma of personal responsibility. But what if some people don’t have bootstraps? What if some don’t even have boots? This week David and Curtis welcome educational expert and Rice University sociology professor Ruth López Turley. Raised on the U.S./Mexico border, Ruth’s own educational story is fascinating and lends special weight to her observations about educational equity and how the scriptures (including Mary’s Magnificat) might lead us to some surprising and challenging conclusions. Show Notes: -$50M Kinder Foundation grant will expand Kinder Institute’s work to solve challenges facing Houston -Cynthia M. Allen - Want economic mobility? Make friends at church
Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter
Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org
Produced by Kris Carter | |||
| Why Evil is Weaker Than We Think | 24 Sep 2022 | 01:02:46 | |
Evil is certainly a powerful force in our world. We are witnessing it live in the form of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But is evil ultimately as powerful as it is popularly portrayed? Does evil perhaps contain in itself the seeds of its own destruction? Join David and Curtis in this week’s fascinating discussion about the inherent weakness of evil. Show Notes:
Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org Produced by Kris Carter | |||
| The Wisdom of Mortality (a tribute to Jonathan Tjarks) | 17 Sep 2022 | 01:06:40 | |
In this special re-release, we at the Good Faith podcast want to honor the life of Jonathan Tjarks, who passed away last week. Jonathan was an NBA beat writer and podcaster for The Ringer, but he was so much more! Just 6 months ago we had the pleasure of having Jonathan join us to talk about his cancer diagnosis, the role of his faith community in caring for his family, and even a little NBA talk. Whether you caught this episode or not, we believe his hard-earned wisdom is worth hearing over and over again. Rest in the peace of God Jonathan. Show Notes:
Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org Produced by Kris Carter | |||
| Criminal Justice | 10 Sep 2022 | 00:49:01 | |
In a previously recorded (but never released) episode, David and Curtis tackle the particularly vexing challenge of justice when crimes are committed. For those who do not engage regularly with the criminal justice system, these questions can feel distant, or even irrelevant. But as we are reminded, God’s repeated calls for justice throughout the scriptures don’t give the Christian such an easy out.
Show Notes: -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Time After Time | 03 Sep 2022 | 00:58:37 | |
This week David and Curtis dive into the issue of time and how our understanding of time horizons can profoundly impact our perspective on the world, whether it is getting worse or better, and what actions that should lead us to take. As Christians who believe in eternity, we should be good at “playing the long game,” but we often let ourselves get caught up in the issues of the moment, and let our compressed time horizons lead us to fear or despair, rather than hope.
Show Notes: -“Imagine That” by Picture This -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Meghan Sullivan on College, God and the Good Life | 27 Aug 2022 | 01:06:33 | |
This week David and Curtis are joined by Meghan Sullivan, philosopher, teacher, and creator of the most popular class at the University of Notre Dame, “God and the Good Life.” As many of us send our kids off to college (or head off to college ourselves), Meghan helps us appreciate the role of education–and of philosophy in particular–in helping students take on the big questions of life.
Show Notes: -The Good Life Method by Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko -God and the Good Life (Notre Dame course) -What is Philosophy?: Crash Course Philosophy #1 -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Karen Swallow Prior on Twitter & the Printing Press | 20 Aug 2022 | 01:03:34 | |
This week David and Curtis are joined by Karen Swallow Prior, writer, thinker, and research professor of English and Christianity and culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Karen talks to us about the current state of affairs in social media, particularly Twitter, and compares its impact on culture and the church to another critical technology, the printing press. She discusses how these modern technologies are impacting our brains, and how we can push back against this through the simple act of reading, especially the (necessarily slow and contemplative) reading of literature.
Show Notes: -National Endowment of the Arts - “Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America” -Caleb Crain (The New Yorker) - “Why We Don’t Read, Revisited” -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| In Times of Trouble: Watch & Pray | 13 Aug 2022 | 00:58:05 | |
It’s been an eventful week, and for many a deeply troubling one. But of course, no matter what end of the political spectrum you come from, weeks like this seem increasingly common. The hits just keep on coming, as do the feelings of loss and fear. So how are we as Christians to navigate such deeply troubled times? This week, David and Curtis dive into this question with some interesting thoughts from Rudyard Kipling, and some even more important (and eternal) wisdom from the Psalms.
Show Notes: -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| When Is Trauma An Opportunity For Spiritual Growth? (with Rev. Summer Joy Gross) | 10 Aug 2024 | 00:47:49 | |
Host Curtis Chang welcomes Rev. Summer Joy Gross, author of The Emmanuel Promise, to explore how a broken attachment to God can amplify anxieties stemming from politics, interpersonal relationships, and global events like the crisis in Israel. Rev. Gross, drawing on her expertise as a spiritual director and her study of Attachment Theory, shares intentional spiritual practices to help cultivate a deeper attunement to God in all our emotions. This conversation offers practical steps to move beyond avoidance and frustration, guiding listeners toward greater internal security.
Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!
Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church
Connect with the work of Rev. Summer Joy Gross HERE
Summer Joy Gross's book: The Emmanuel Promise - Discovering the Security of a Life Held by God
REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:
To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism as edited by J.I. Packer
Dallas Willard on Spiritual Formation
Excerpt from Jim Wilder's book Renovated (Dallas Willard's concept of being attached to God)
Sungshim Loppnow and Jim Wilder's book: Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel
How to pray St. Ignatius's Examen
Grafted Directory of Evangelical Spiritual Directors Association (ESDA)
Register for the Kingdom Politics Conference HERE
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| Rest & Remembrance | 06 Aug 2022 | 01:00:47 | |
This week David’s theological wingman Curtis returns from his July sabbatical. He’s rested and raring to go, but rather than dive into another hot political or cultural issue, Curtis actually has some remarkable insights to share about the nature of sabbath rest and the spiritual discipline of letting go, stepping away from our illusions of ultimate control and placing all our striving in God’s hands. In the second half of this episode Curtis also shares some important thoughts about the nature of remembrance and loss based on his experience at the 9/11 Memorial. If you’re a regular listener who is tempted to skip this episode because it’s not Good Faith’s regular political/cultural fare, then this episode is even more for you.
Show Notes: -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Speaking Truth to Red and Blue | 30 Jul 2022 | 00:58:17 | |
While Curtis is still on sabbatical, David talks to Justin Giboney, co-founder of the AND Campaign, about racial justice, political tribalism, and the “God gap” in the Democratic Party. They discuss the problems with left and right as they grapple with extremism, and they talk about Justin’s experiences talking about hot-button topics from a politically heterodox (but theologically orthodox) point of view.
Show Notes: -Good Faith Debates: How Should the Church Address Racial Injustice? -Compassion (&) Conviction by Justin Giboney | |||
| The Religion of American Greatness | 23 Jul 2022 | 01:03:07 | |
David talks to Georgetown professor and Bush administration alum Paul Miller about Paul's new book, “The Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong With Christian Nationalism.” Paul defines Christian nationalism, discusses what's wrong with it theologically, what's wrong with it politically, and how it invariably leads to conflict and illiberalism. They also discuss Christian underrepresentation in the academy and other elite spaces, including its causes and consequences.
Show Notes: -“The Religion of American Greatness” by Paul D. Miller | |||
| Beautiful People Don't Just Happen | 16 Jul 2022 | 01:01:53 | |
David talks to Scott Sauls, an author and pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. They talk about handling the exhaustion of the current moment, whether winsomeness "works," and the challenges facing pastors in the face of relentless criticism. They also address Scott's prescient warnings about the dangers of culture war obsessions--warnings that date well before the present extreme polarization.
Show Notes: -“Beautiful People Don't Just Happen” by Scott Sauls -“Jesus Outside the Lines” by Scott Sauls | |||
| We Need to Build | 09 Jul 2022 | 01:10:11 | |
This week Eboo Patel, a Muslim pioneer in interfaith work, joins David and Curtis to discuss his book, We Need to Build. They discuss the need to allow people of different faiths to be able to bring their whole selves, including real and significant religious disagreements, to these conversations. Eboo also helps us understand why it is so important to do more than criticize what we don’t like in the culture, but instead to adopt the more mature approach of actually building what we want to see in society.
Show Notes: -We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy by Eboo Patel -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Feeling Overwhelmed by the News Cycle? | 02 Jul 2022 | 01:03:43 | |
Dobbs; January 6 hearings; war in Ukraine; mass shootings. We are being overwhelmed on a weekly basis by a relentlessly heavy news cycle. In this week’s episode David and Curtis give us a break from all this to talk with us about anxiety, despair and weariness. Wait . . . what?! Yes that’s right, this is the Good Faith version of “lighter” fare! It’s actually a very uplifting conversation and you may even walk away with some helpful ways to navigate the overwhelming feelings all of us are experiencing these days.
Show Notes: -Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) by Tracy Dennis-Tiwary -Anxiety as Opportunity for Spiritual Growth (online course by Curtis Chang) -Al Pacino “Inches” speech from Any Given Sunday -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Roe Gone, Now What? / Classical Liberalism & Racial Justice | 24 Jun 2022 | 01:22:11 | |
In part one of this two part podcast, Curtis and David respond to the breaking news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Rather than dive into the legal or political dimensions of the ruling, they take a look at the social and spiritual dimensions, asking questions like:
In part two they welcome guest Rachel Ferguson to discuss her new book “Black Liberation Through the Marketplace,” a classical liberal response to racial injustice in America.
Show Notes: -Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Why Pay Attention to the January 6 Hearings? | 18 Jun 2022 | 01:00:20 | |
Some folks are fascinated by the unfolding narrative of the January 6 hearings, but many are simply tuning out, feeling it is just more politics. This week David and Curtis help us think through why we should be paying attention to these hearings. They explore some of the underlying stories around the key players involved and how those stories not only impact how we think of these people, but perhaps even how we think of ourselves.
Show Notes: -Megan N. Fontenot - Exploring the People of Middle-earth: Boromir the Brave -Rivka Maizlish - Alasdair MacIntyre on Narrative, History, and the Unity of a Life -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Russell Moore Wants Us To Be Strange (But Not Crazy) | 11 Jun 2022 | 01:06:17 | |
Joining David and Curtis this week is Russell Moore, the director of Christianity Today’s Public Theology Project. With the Southern Baptist Convention taking place next week in the immediate aftermath of a 3rd party report on sexual abuse and institutional coverup, Russell helps us unpack some of what went wrong in his former denomination. He also offers helpful guidance on how church leaders and all followers of Christ should be responding to such situations (hint: it’s not to ignore it or cover it up). He also discusses the issue of “crazy as a church growth strategy,” suggesting that while we are not called to crazy, we are called to the strangeness (in the world’s eyes) of biblical fidelity, mixed with a healthy dose of rational thought.
Show Notes: -Russell Moore (Christianity Today) - This Is the Southern Baptist Apocalypse -David French (The Atlantic) - The Southern Baptist Horror -Curtis Chang - The Southern Baptist Convention Sacrifices Congregants on the Altar of Power -The Russell Moore Show: David Brooks Wants to Save Evangelicalism on Apple Podcasts -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Gun Violence, Gun Rights & Gun Idolatry | 04 Jun 2022 | 01:16:47 | |
This week David and Curtis tackle the tough subject of gun violence. They look at the various tensions between gun rights and gun control and the hyper-polarized responses we are apt to have on one side or the other. They also help us take a step back to think through the “how” of approaching such a complex issue versus just the “what” of our preferred policy outcome.
Show Notes: -Rand Corporation - Gun Policy in America -Rand Corporation - How Gun Policies Affect Mass Shootings -Malcolm Gladwell (New Yorker) - Thresholds of Violence: How school shootings catch on -French Press - Pass and Enforce Red Flag Laws. Now. -David French (The Atlantic) - What Critics Don’t Understand About Gun Culture -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Disarming Christian Nationalism (with Pastor Caleb Campbell) | 03 Aug 2024 | 01:02:31 | |
Host Curtis Chang sits down with Pastor Caleb Campbell, author of the new book Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. Caleb shares his powerful journey from disenfranchised young churchgoer to neo-nazi, and ultimately, his transformation into an evangelical pastor with a desire to reach adherents of Christian Nationalism. Together, Curtis and Caleb explore how our friends and neighbors become entangled in the worship of nationalism and political power and offer practical steps for inviting these individuals into meaningful relationships that foster hope and change.
Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!
Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church
Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE
Order Caleb E. Campbell's book: Disarming Leviathan Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor
REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:
Rich Mullins' Song: Sometimes By Step
Tim Keller: Preaching to the Collective Heart (blog post)
Pete Scazzaro's book: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
Register for the Kingdom Politics Conference HERE
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| Telling the Truth about Christian Institutional Sin | 28 May 2022 | 01:03:56 | |
Joining David and Curtis this week is special guest Nancy French. In a departure from her normal work as a best selling author, Nancy has spent the last 2 years investigating cases of sexual abuse and institutional coverup at one of the nations largest Christian summer camps, Kanakuk Kamps in Branson, Missouri. Going beyond mere reporting on what happened, our hosts help frame the sad situation at Kanakuk in the broader context of the calling we all have to first tell the truth about the institutions we engage with, but also to work toward their repentance and repair.
Show Notes: -Frederick Buechner - Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale -Nancy French (USA Today) - Survivors, ex-employees say Kanakuk Christian camp 'ministered' to its sexual predators -Curtis Chang - The Southern Baptist Convention Sacrifices Congregants on the Altar of Power -Check out Nancy French’s investigative work at NancyFrench.com -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Replacing White Replacement Theory | 21 May 2022 | 01:11:02 | |
In this special episode of the Good Faith podcast we pause to reflect on the tragic shooting in Buffalo and explore its underlying racial motivations, so-called “white replacement theory.” Joining David and Curtis (and producer Kris) is our special guest Chuck Mingo, pastor and founder of Living Undivided. Chuck helps us unpack some of the history behind this insidious “theory” and why its scarcity mindset is in direct contradiction to the abundance of God revealed in the Bible. The discussion also explores the connection of this current tragedy and its motivations to broader understandings of immigration, as well as to the nation’s past history of racially motivated violence like the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Show Notes: -Cathy Young (The Bulwark) - The Replacement Theory -- And Terrorist Practice -Jesse Curtis (Washington Post) - The mass shooting in Buffalo reflects deeply rooted American ideas -David French (The Atlantic) - The Truth About Extremism That America Likes to Forget -The bloody history of anti-Asian violence in the West -Andy Crouch - Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power -Check out Chuck Mingo’s critically important work at Undivided.com -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Why Are Teens Growing More Anxious? | 14 May 2022 | 00:59:07 | |
It is increasingly obvious that teenagers across the country are experiencing a spike in anxiety, often with serious and debilitating consequences. This week David and Curtis speak to one of the foremost experts on the subject, Kara Powell, executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute. Kara’s well-researched and empathetic insights are critical for all of us to help the teens in our lives navigate these challenging times.
Show Notes: -Faith in an Anxious World: A 4-week High School Curriculum -Faith in an Anxious World Parenting Podcast -Matt Richtel (New York Times): “‘It’s Life or Death’: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens” -Tosin Thompson (Nature): “Young people’s climate anxiety revealed in landmark survey” -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org and specifically check out the course Anxiety as Opportunity for Spiritual Growth | |||
| Integrity & the Abortion Debate | 07 May 2022 | 01:07:26 | |
What does the surprise leak of Justice Alito’s opinion in the highly anticipated case Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization reveal about the intellectual integrity of his legal argument? What does it perhaps reveal about the integrity of the institution of the Supreme Court itself? In the midst of all the controversy and preliminary conclusions, David and Curtis try to help us think through this complex cultural moment through the lens of integrity.
Show Notes: -Caitlin Flanagan: “The Dishonesty of the Abortion Debate” -Romney Discusses the State of Family Policy and the Child Tax Credit with AEI -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| The Partisan Mind vs the Mind of Christ | 30 Apr 2022 | 01:00:14 | |
In this week’s episode David and Curtis explore the concept of the “partisan mind”; what it is, where it comes from, and why it is in conflict with the “mind of Christ”. They look at the social science behind partisan polarization and offer some practical tips on how we can tell when we are (and how we can avoid) falling into the snare of the partisan mind.
Show Notes: -Nichole Argo Ben Itzhak (Over Zero) - The Science of Polarization and Insights for Bridge-building -Barna: Pastors Share Top Reasons They’ve Considered Quitting Ministry in the Past Year -Over Zero: Core Concepts on Social Identity, Negative Emotions and Group Norms -Check out Biologos -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org | |||
| Technology as Mammon, with special guest Andy Crouch | 23 Apr 2022 | 01:08:27 | |
How is it possible that the people who have harnessed technological progress to become the wealthiest nation in history are still so remarkably unhappy? Is it possible that we have asked technology to do too much? Is it perhaps impacting our ability to be fully formed humans? Join this fascinating conversation with David, Curtis, and Curtis’ old roommate Andy Crouch, who guides us in thinking about our relationship with technology and how to be more human.
Show Notes: -Andy Crouch - The Life We’re Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World -Jonathan Haidt - Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Check out Redeeming Babel’s job opening here | |||
| Democracy is in Danger: Should Christians Care? | 16 Apr 2022 | 01:09:09 | |
Liberal democracy is under military threat abroad, and intellectual threat in America. And many of these domestic attacks are coming from within Christianity. So should Christians care about defending democracy? What are the connections between our Christian faith and America’s form of self-government? This week David and Curtis dive headlong into this deep and fascinating issue, including some history, some theology, and some critical guidance for why we Christians must indeed care about the state of our democracy and its institutions.
Show Notes: -French Press: “A Christian Defense of American Classical Liberalism” -Sarah Repucci & Amy Slipowitz (Freedom House): “Democracy Under Siege” -From John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798 -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Check out Redeeming Babel’s job opening here | |||
| Fundamentalism Part Deux | 09 Apr 2022 | 00:47:39 | |
This week David and Curtis offer a follow up discussion on fundamentalism, clarifying some key points from the previous episode and diving deeper into how we can become fundamentalists without even knowing it! Do our increasingly homogenous social groups perhaps push us toward fundamentalism and even radicalization? How might the presence of even a few diverse voices impact these groups? This then leads to a discussion about liberal democracy and how it is under assault, not just globally (as in Russia/Ukraine), but even here in the US. How should our Christian faith inform things like our system of government and our embrace (or rejection) of liberal democracy?
Show Notes: -Cass Sunstein - The Law of Group Polarization -Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter -Check out Curtis’ series Anxiety as Opportunity for Spiritual Growth, available at RedeemingBabel.org. 20% discount for Good Faith listeners, use code: GoodFaith20 | |||
| What the Heck is a Fundamentalist? | 02 Apr 2022 | 01:03:16 | |
In a continuation of our “What the Heck is . . .?” series, David and Curtis help us think about the concept of fundamentalism and how it fits into the current cultural moment. Is fundamentalism just a set of beliefs? Is it a way of approaching belief? Does it perhaps even extend beyond traditional religious belief to certain political beliefs? And where do uncertainty and humility fit into all of this? Join us as we unpack how fundamentalism functions both within the church and in the wider culture.
Show Notes: -Richard Hofstadter (Harper’s Magazine): “The Paranoid Style in American Politics” -Please consider taking our Podcast Survey (podsurvey.com/faith) to help us determine what types of advertisers you want to see on the Good Faith podcast | |||
| Two Dangers: the Contrarian Mind & War Porn | 26 Mar 2022 | 01:02:21 | |
This week David and Curtis start with confession time, each looking closely at the challenges of contrarianism and pride that impact all of us in our modern discourse. They unpack the tricky balance between knowing, certainty, and humility, including the possibility that we might be wrong. In the second half, they dive into the spiritual challenge of staying attentive to the war in Ukraine without just watching it as a form of perverse entertainment. In another tricky balance, our hosts offer suggestions for staying connected in ways that are less personally destructive and more spiritually healthy.
Show Notes: -French Press: “What the Russian Invasion Teaches us About the Right” -French Press: “Questions and Answers After a Month of War” -Adam Grant: “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” | |||
| How Deep Reading Forms Our Souls (with Jessica Hooten Wilson) | 27 Jul 2024 | 00:57:46 | |
How Deep Reading Forms Our Souls (with Jessica Hooten Wilson)
Host Curtis Chang and award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson, the Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University, discuss the decline of deep reading and how this might impact our lives. Hooten Wilson explains the significant benefits that listeners can experience by thoughtfully re-engaging with books as a regular practice. The conversation explores how deep reading can help individuals cultivate contemplation, love their neighbors, practice humility, and other aspects of deep spiritual growth.
Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!
Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church
Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE
Follow Jessica Hooten Wilson's work
Order Jessica Hooten Wilson's book: Reading for the Love of God How to Read as a Spiritual Practice
REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:
Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf
Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott A. Small
The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs
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| David Brooks & Peter Wehner | 19 Mar 2022 | 01:12:54 | |
Joining David and Curtis this week are two of the most influential voices speaking to Christian faith in the public square, David Brooks and Peter Wehner. Both Peter and David recently wrote landmark pieces analyzing the current landscape of American evangelicalism. In this podcast, they discuss the signs of hope and restoration for the troubled movement. Also, in a bit of self-revelation, they share about the books that most influenced their own faith journeys.
Show Notes: -Peter Wehner: “The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart” -David Brooks: “The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism From Itself” David Brooks’ Most Influential Books:
Peter Wehner’s Most Influential Books:
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| The Wisdom of Mortality with Jonathan Tjarks | 13 Mar 2022 | 01:01:38 | |
David and Curtis are honored this week to share the microphone with Jonathan Tjarks, famed NBA beat writer and podcaster for The Ringer. Jonathan’s recent piece “Does My Son Know You?” was a rare moment of candid sharing and distilled wisdom in light of his recent cancer diagnosis. This is truly a must listen as Jonathan shares a poignant perspective on faith, family and the power of community. Be sure to stay tuned to the end where he also breaks down a potential Grizzlies-Warriors matchup in the NBA playoffs, leaving one of our hosts happy and one sad.
Show Notes: | |||
| The Spiritual Power of Leadership | 05 Mar 2022 | 01:01:55 | |
This week David and Curtis help us look at leadership and what it is about certain leaders that seems to resonate so deep in our souls. Why does President Zelensky’s stand in Kyiv inspire us? Is it possible that a man who claims no Christian identity can be bearing the image of God? How do we recognize these images while not falling for the temptation of idolatry and worship of leaders as false images? Join us for this fascinating and timely discussion of the spiritual power of leadership.
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| Praying Through Wars, Real and Imaginary | 26 Feb 2022 | 01:16:21 | |
David and Curtis talk to Tish Harrison Warren, an author, Anglican priest, and writer for The New York Times. Their conversation about prayer gets very real, as they first talk about prayer in wartime. Then they move back to the American cultural struggles, and discuss the disturbing tendency to compare peace to war and the toxic effect on our lives and hearts.
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| What the Heck is a Christian Nationalist? | 19 Feb 2022 | 01:05:27 | |
On today’s podcast, David and Curtis tackle Christian nationalism. What is it? Is it an ideology? A theology? An emotional, visceral connection? Or some combination of all three? Then they talk about healthy patriotism and how to love your national home, warts and all.
Show Notes: -Thomas Kidd: “Christian Nationalism vs. Christian Patriotism” -Deseret News: “What the latest data tells us about Christian nationalism” -French Press: “Discerning the Difference Between Christian Nationalism and Christian Patriotism” -French Press: “The Seeds of Political Violence Are Being Sown in Church” | |||
| Making the Multi-Ethnic Dream a Reality | 12 Feb 2022 | 01:05:36 | |
David and Curtis talk to Dr. Derwin Gray about his career path from college football to the NFL to seminary and, ultimately, to the founder and pastor of Transformation church, a multi-ethnic congregation in South Carolina. Dr. Gray talks about his new book, How to Heal Our Racial Divide and David and Curtis ask him about political and racial tensions in church, critical race theory, and how he proposes reaching a church that's polarized on political and racial grounds.
Show Notes: -How to Heal Our Racial Divide by Derwin Gray -Desert News: “Leaning on Jesus to heal America’s racial divide” -Follow Derwin Gray on Twitter -RedeemingBabel.org 20% discount for Good Faith listeners: GoodFaith20 | |||
| Grace in Public Discourse | 05 Feb 2022 | 01:07:33 | |
How should we react when people say or do things we find offensive in public discourse? What is the role of forgiveness and grace in these contexts? How do we determine if apologies are sincere and the offending party is worthy of an opportunity for repentance and repair? Join David and Curtis as they discuss this timely topic and offer some guidance for how we can make some space for grace in our public discourse.
Show Notes: -David French (WaPo): “Here’s the difference between Colin Kaepernick and Roseanne Barr” -The French Press: “Cancel Culture, Conditioning Culture, and America’s Stun-Gun Style of Discourse” -YouTube: Brandt Jean to Amber Guyger: ‘I forgive you’ -Charlestown Shooting Victims’ Families Forgive Accused Gunman -RedeemingBabel.org 20% discount for Good Faith listeners: GoodFaith20 | |||
| Lessons from The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill with Mike Cosper | 29 Jan 2022 | 01:03:46 | |
David and Curtis are excited to welcome the inaugural guest of the Good Faith podcast, Mike Cosper. Mike is the Director of Podcasting for Christianity Today and is most well known as the producer and host of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Join David, Curtis and Mike as they discuss some of the lessons Mike took away from the process of diving deep into such a painful story. As you will see, the lessons are sometimes hard (just like the gospel itself), but they are also surprisingly hopeful (just like the gospel itself).
Show Notes: -RedeemingBabel.org 20% discount for Good Faith listeners: GoodFaith20 | |||
| When Pastors Head for the Exits | 22 Jan 2022 | 01:11:01 | |
Why are so many pastors considering leaving the ministry? Is it the pandemic? Is it the political and racial polarization? Is it something else? Join David and Curtis as they delve into the growing crisis of pastoral burnout, including a very personal story from Curtis about his own journey to becoming a “former senior pastor”.
Show Notes: -Barna Group - 38% of U.S. Pastors Have Thought About Quitting Full-Time Ministry in the Past Year -Kate Shellnutt - The Pastors Aren’t All Right: 38% Consider Leaving Ministry -Barna Group - The Mental & Emotional Health of Pastors and Their Congregants Amid COVID-19 -Wendy Wang and Alysse Elhage - Here’s Who Stopped Going to Church During the Pandemic | |||
| Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? | 15 Jan 2022 | 00:56:56 | |
Conflict feels like it’s everywhere these days. Church communities, old friendships and even families are being pulled apart by tensions over politics, the pandemic, race and more. When should we stay in a church or relationship? When should we perhaps leave? Is there a biblical model to navigate these decisions and what comes in the aftermath? Join David and Curtis to discuss how we as Christians should approach these perplexing questions.
Show Notes: -The Russell Moore Show: Beth Moore Didn’t Expect Us to Be Us | |||
| Trump, Biden, and The Power of Self Reflection (with Pete Wehner) | 20 Jul 2024 | 00:58:47 | |
Host Curtis Chang and Pete Wehner, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, engage in a thought-provoking discussion about tackling inner demons amidst America’s current political upheaval. They delve into topics such as the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden's determination to continue despite pressure to exit the race, and what our reactions to these events reveal about ourselves. The conversation gets personal as they examine the difference between moral reflection and moral equivalency during times of national instability.
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REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: President Lincoln's Lyceum Address
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| Is America a Christian Nation? | 08 Jan 2022 | 01:04:28 | |
What exactly is a Christian nation? Is America becoming post-Christian? Is it easier or harder to be a Christian in America today than it was 30 years ago? What about 70 years ago? Join David French and Curtis Chang to think through these important questions and to consider some perhaps quite surprising answers. | |||
| We’re the Adults Now | 01 Jan 2022 | 00:58:21 | |
Why would a 53-year-old man decide that this is the year he will finally become an adult? Find out in this special New Year’s episode where David and Curtis discuss the urgent need for all of us to step up and be the grown ups, both in the church and in the broader culture. | |||
| Is Empathy a Sin? | 25 Dec 2021 | 00:59:05 | |
In a special Christmas episode, David French and Curtis Chang talk about the ultimate act of empathy (God becoming human) and the somewhat surprising debate going on in certain corners of the evangelical church; the idea that empathy can be a sin. How far should we go to understand another’s pain? Does empathy require moral agreement? Is our empathy sometimes selective, reserved for those we agree with and withheld from those we don’t? David and Curtis also dig into some reader mail for a fascinating discussion of the issue of abortion and some surprising realities that may show why pro-life Christians should look beyond the mere legal rules established under Roe v. Wade.
Show Notes: -Joe Rigney: The Enticing Sin of Empathy -The French Press: The American Crisis of Selective Empathy -The French Press: Satanic Pregnancies, Explained -C.S. Lewis: The Screwtape Letters (Amazon) -Kate Shellnutt: Bethlehem Baptist Leaders Clash Over ‘Coddling’ and ‘Cancel Culture’ -The French Press: The Pro-Life Movement Must Transcend Politics | |||