Complex Creatures

Is artificial intelligence a tool we steer, or one that is quietly steering us? On this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons talks with Nathan Barczi, a pastor and theologian who holds doctorates in theology from Nottingham and economics from MIT, where he also serves as a chaplain. Together they ask what AI is doing to our work, our relationships, and our sense of what it means...

Can a Netflix series or a Gilmore Girls rerun carry a word from God? On this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons sits down with singer, author, and podcaster Savannah Locke, co-host of The Subtext, to talk about reading pop culture for its spiritual undercurrents. Savannah shares the fire poppy that became her life metaphor, why she threw a phone-free album launch for Songs of P...

What is the smartphone in your pocket quietly forming you into? On this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons talks with pastor and theologian Dillon Thornton about his book Deathly (De)Vices: Our Ever-Present Portals to Seven Ancient Sins, which reads our screens through the old Christian language of the seven deadly sins. Drawing on Evagrius of Pontus, Aquinas, and a memorable s...

What if the crisis facing boys and men isn't a lack of rules, but a missing aspiration? A vision not just of what to avoid, but of who to become? In this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons sits down with author, ordained minister, and New Testament scholar Zachary Wagner ( Director of Programs at the Center for Pastor Theologians, DPhil graduate of the University of Oxford, and...

When you hear the word "masculinity," what's the first image that shows up — for better or worse? And what changes if the real answer has less to do with being a  man  and more to do with being  good ? In this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons steps out from behind his own show with producer Alan Barnes for a wide-ranging, unscripted conversation about masculinity — what we in...

What does it mean to carry tradition without becoming a relic — in a world that's either obsessed with novelty or stuck in nostalgia? In this episode of Complex Creatures, the tables turn: Alan O.W. Barnes steps out from behind the scenes to host, putting Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons in the guest seat for a wide-ranging conversation about  traditioned innovation  — the language Jarrod borrows from the...

Theology lives differently in a pulpit than it does in a lecture hall. Dr. Steven Cone — author of  An Ocean Vast of Blessing  and  Theology from the Great Tradition  — joins Jarrod to talk about preaching the great tradition to a congregation, walking with people through beginning-of-life and end-of-life moments, and the slow, on-the-job work of becoming a pastor. A conversation about how the dee...

What if the church's discipleship problem isn't new — and the answer has been hiding in plain sight for two thousand years? In this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons sits down with theologian and educator Dr. Alex Fogleman — Associate Dean for Special Programs and Assistant Professor of Theology at Trinity Anglican Seminary, founding director of the Catechesis Institute, and d...

What if creativity isn't just something artists do — but something all of us are called to? In this special episode of Complex Creatures, Alan Barnes turns the tables and interviews Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons about a subject close to both of their hearts: creativity as a spiritual posture. Rooted in the conviction that we bear the image of a creative God, the conversation ranges from Jarrod's early-...

What does it mean to leave everything behind — your country, your career plans, your language — and build a life somewhere else? And what happens when that life is suddenly torn away? In this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons sits down with his friend Jonathan "Boo" Powell — Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Christian Campus Fellowship (CCF) and a former missionary who sp...

What would happen if we stopped reading the Bible alone—and started reading it with two thousand years of saints, mystics, and theologians by our side? In this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons sits down with writer, pastor, and theologian Jason Byassee to explore his book  Surprised by Jesus Again: Reading the Bible in Communion with the Saints . From the early church fathers...

“The Church isn’t dying—the voluntary association is.” What happens when the institutions that once carried faith begin to collapse? In this episode of  Complex Creatures , Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons reflects on church decline, secularity, and the unraveling of America’s voluntary association culture. Rather than lamenting loss, he invites listeners to imagine the Church not as an institution to be...

Is the Enneagram just a personality test—or could it be a pathway to deeper faith? In this rich and heartfelt episode of  Complex Creatures , Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons speaks with  Rev. Jamie Butcher —Presbyterian minister and certified Enneagram coach—about how this ancient tool offers more than labels. Together, they explore how the Enneagram can lead us from  self-protection to self-giving , fro...

In this illuminating conversation, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons sits down with psychology professor and confessional Lutheran  Dr. Jonathan Stadler  to explore the timely intersection of  faith, psychology, masculinity, and meaning . From behavioral neuroscience to the cultural impact of  Jordan Peterson , from  Stoicism and positive psychology  to the beauty of  carrying the fire  in a broken world,...

In this episode of  Complex Creatures , Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons welcomes Christi Heidt, Program Director at Peachtree Christian Health, for a powerful conversation on aging, dementia, and the sacred work of caregiving. Together, they explore what it means to hold memories for those who can no longer recall them, how community care fosters dignity and flourishing, and why humility and patience are...

On this powerful episode of  Complex Creatures , host Jarrod welcomes Tim Price—musician, recovery minister, and founder of Faith, Recovery, and Music. With stories shaped by addiction, grace, and gritty honesty, Tim shares how the 12 Steps and Christian faith saved his life and continue to fuel his ministry. From early trauma to building community in a reimagined flour mill, Tim’s testimony is as...

In this episode of  Complex Creatures , Rev. Jarrod Longbons sits down with journalist and author Rebecca McCarthy to discuss her memoir-biography  Norman Maclean: A Life of Letters and Rivers . What unfolds is a deep and personal conversation about storytelling, grief, spiritual mystery, and the search for meaning. From  A River Runs Through It  to personal memories of Hyde Park winters and crock...

A conversation with Rachel Hastings about her spiritual journey.

Jarrod discusses transplantation and spirituality with Beth Lehman. https://bethlehmanliver.com

A Conversation with Lori Tapia

Join Jarrod and Alan as they discuss Ash Wednesday history and practice.

A conversation with Pastor Eric Thomas of St Peter Missionary Baptist Church.

An interview with Gregory S. Berns Professor of Psychology at Emory University.

An interview with Willie and Megan Huston.

In seminary, I studied big ideas like ontology and ethics, but it wasn’t until studying Kierkegaard’s philosophy that I grasped life’s urgency: we’re finite—what will you do with your time? J. Aaron Simmons is a Professor of Philosophy, a widely published author, a popular speaker, and also a trout fisherman and mountain biker. Specializing in philosophy of religion and political philosophy, Simmo...