In Good Faith – Details, episodes & analysis

In Good Faith is the place to hear stories and accounts from believers, told in their own words. Our hope is to listen with an open heart, celebrating the power of faith and belief, and what those stories mean to the ones who tell them. Host Steven Kapp Perry talks with believers from all walks of faith—Catholic and Episcopalian, Buddhist and Baptist, Jewish and Hindu, Presbyterian and Seventh Day Adventist, Muslim and Latter-day Saint—in other words, human beings and believers, sharing their personal experience with the sacred and the divine. Sundays on BYU radio—and be sure to subscribe to the podcast!

Steve and Heather chat about their upcoming TV documentary on BYUtv. Get the app or find the channel on ROKU.

Utah Make a Wish creates magical moments for children suffering from debilitating illness--and that magic can turn into mental and physical health miracles. Steve interviews Jared Perry, the CEO of Utah Make a Wish in this bonus episode of In Good Faith.

Camille Fronk Olson speaks with Steve about her research on Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with a focus on a moment unique in scripture: Mary's relationship with her cousin Elizabeth and how these two greet each other with love and witness. Camille Fronk Olson is professor emeritus of ancient scripture and former department chair at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; her areas of research are New Testament, general church doctrine, the life of Christ, and culture and history of the Bible. She earned a PhD in Sociology of the Middle East, a master's degree in Ancient Near Eastern Studies, and a bachelor's degree in education. She is married to Paul F. Olson. Her book Mary, The Mother of Jesus, is available for sale at Deseret Book.

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens is a classic story of redemption and change that has become a central part of many family's holiday celebrations. Hana Sharif, Artistic Director for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, is contributing to this legacy with her second annual production of the classic story. Hana spoke with Steve about the spiritual power of theater and what it means to share this story with modern audiences almost 180 years after Dickens first published it. She also speaks about her interfaith background and how story can cross over religious and cultural lines. Hana Sharif has enjoyed a decorated career in the theater, including roles as an artistic leader, director, playwright and producer with a specialty in leadership. During her decade-long tenure at Hartford Stage, Hana served as the Associate Artistic Director, Director of New Play Development, and Artistic Producer. From 1997–2003, Hana served as the co-founder and Artistic Director of Nasir Productions, a theatre dedicated to underrepresented voices to challenge traditional structures. Additionally, Hana has directed many acclaimed productions, including Porgy & Bess, The Who & The What, Sense and Sensibility, The Christians, Pride and Prejudice (DCArts: Best Director/Best New Play), and The Whipping Man. Her plays include All the Women I Used to Be, The Rise and Fall of Day and The Sprott Cycle Trilogy. Hana holds a BA from Spelman College and an MFA from the University of Houston. She is the recipient of the 2009–10 Aetna New Voices Fellowship and a litany of other awards She serves on the board of directors for the Theatre Communications Group, the Black Theatre Commons, and the Sprott Foundation.

Four guests talk about our sacred responsibility to protect and appreciate the natural environment. J Phoenix Smith works as an ecotherapist and is called to the station of elder in the Lucumi tradition. In these roles, she promotes the health benefits of spending time outside, both individually and communally. Victoria Loorz talks about the true meaning of the wilderness coming from a background in Evangelical Christianity, while Rich Blundell discusses with wonder the growing convergence of science and religion. As a special feature, Austin takes to BYU campus to ask students about the ways they value nature -- their insights are sagacious! Lastly, Hamzah Iqbal introduces the deep interconnection of Islamic scripture and environmentalism.

Steve talks with Mark Miner, a close friend, about his struggle to overcome addiction and how God reached out to him to heal and nurture.

America's religious diversity is growing. Eboo Patel argues that emphasizing that diversity will make the United States stronger, especially if US citizens invest in civic institutions. Patel's use of the potluck metaphor is especially pertinent. Named “one of America’s best leaders” by US News and World Report, Eboo is Founder and President of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization in the United States. Under his leadership, IA has worked with governments, universities, private companies, and civic organizations to make faith a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council, has given hundreds of keynote addresses, and has written five books, including “We Need to Build: Fieldnotes for Diverse Democracy” published in May 2022. He is an Ashoka Fellow and holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship. Eboo lives in Chicago with his wife, Shehnaz, and two sons.

Eckart Tolle's "The Power of Now" (1997) was many North Americans' first introduction to what we now recognize as mindfulness. The In Good Faith production team--Heather Bigley, Austin Ball, and Peter Ellison, chat with host Steven Kapp Perry about their thoughts and reactions to the book's ideas, and even trying some of the meditation practices described in the book. Join the book club by reading "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson in preparation for our next IGF Book Club episode in February 2023!

While we might normally think of grief as the collection of emotions we feel after the death of a loved one, in this episode of In Good Faith, we explore some of the many different ways grief can manifest and consider some new ways of responding to grief. First we hear Julie Milor Donovan discuss how losing a child changed her outlook on life. Next we hear from Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, professor at ASU and Zen priest, speak to Steve about healthy ways of responding to grief in ourselves and others. Then we spoke we Leonard Bagalwa, founder and executive director of Utah Valley Refugees, about his experience fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo as a child and then making a new life in Salt Lake City. Next we heard from Mark Miner, who spoke about the grief of shattered expectations when his life was thrown off-course by the aftermath of a traumatic childhood. Finally we talked with Dr. Adam Miller, a philosopher and theologian, whose recent work considers how the grief of time's passage is impossible to escape and how we ought to think about the eternities as a result.