What If Project

What if we've misunderstood what it means for God to be all-powerful? And what if beginning with God's love instead of God's power changes just about everything? This week I'm joined by theologian, author, and friend Thomas Jay Oord to explore his book, "A Systematic Theology of Love, Volume 1: God and Creation". BUT. Don't let the phrase "systematic theology" scare you away! This conversation get...

What if the people we've been taught to fear have something to teach us about spirituality because what if God is way, way bigger than what our own religion tells us? In this episode, I'm joined by Sunshine Witchski (aka the Pink-Haired Sober Witch). She's a psychic medium, spiritual advisor, teacher, and author whose journey has taken her from a Catholic upbringing and decades of addiction to sob...

In this episode, Dr. Nicole LePera (The Holistic Psychologist) returns to the podcast to discuss her book, "Reparenting the Inner Child: The New Science of Our Oldest Wounds and How to Heal Them". And this one? It's a GAME CHANGER. We chat about why inner child work isn't just about childhood nostalgia or play, but about understanding the survival habits, protective instincts, and implicit emotion...

What if technology isn't just changing what we do, but changing who we're becoming? This week I sit down with Aaron Hanbury, author of "Wired for Wonder: Dispatches on Technology, Culture, God, and Self". Aaron doesn't approach technology as a tech expert with all the answers. Instead, he approaches it as a human being trying to understand how decades of increasingly rapid technological change has...

What if our phones aren't just distracting us from our lives, but helping us avoid feeling them AND from feeling all the feelings that tend to make life feel messy? Now THAT’S a big “what if”, right? This week I'm talking with Shannon Algeo about his book "The Power in Your Hands" - a book you NEED on your shelf. One thing to note: Shannon's book isn't a call to throw away our phones; it's an invi...

For years, many of us have been told that anxiety is primarily a thinking problem—that if we could just change our thoughts, our anxiety would disappear. But what if that's only part of the story? In this conversation, physician, neuroscientist, and "Anxiety Rx" author Dr. Russell Kennedy explains why anxiety often begins as a feeling in the body before it becomes a story in the mind. Who knew?! H...

FROM THE ARCHIVES: This week, we're revisiting one of my favorite conversations from the What If Project archives, a conversation with John Philip Newell about his beautiful book "Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul". What if the deepest truth about being human isn't that we're broken, sinful, or separated from God? What if we've simply forgotten who we are? In this conversation, JP introduces us to the wis...

What happens when the place that taught you about God becomes the place that wounds you most? This week we sit down with Chantal Morales McKinney as she shares the deeply personal story behind her book "Following Jesus Beyond Church Walls" where she presses into a question many of us have asked before: Can you still follow Jesus when church no longer feels safe? Together we explore topics like chu...

What if the Book of Psalms isn't simply a collection of ancient worship songs, but a guide for living an honest spiritual life? In this week’s episode we sit down with Richard Bruxvoort Colligan - musician, songwriter, and author of the incredible "Dangerous Songs: The Psalms and a Life of Honest Faith" to explore why the Psalms have endured for thousands of years. We cover LOTS of ground and expl...

This week we are talking Aldo Cazzullo about his book, "God of Our Fathers: the Great Stories of the Bible" where he connects some of the most well-known stories of the Bible to present day circumstances and shows how the Bible is a stunning literary achievement that contains the full breadth of the human experience. Are you weary of hearing about how the Bible is nothing other than the "inerrant...

Friends. This week we are talking to Dr. Richard Beck about his incredible book, "The Book of Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible". The reality is that we all have a particular lens through which we read the Bible along with a set of experiences we bring with us to the text. In his book, Richard helps us realize that and then suggests a different lens or prism through which to read it - love. In...

Friends. We have an incredible episode this week featuring John Dominic Crossan and Michael Okinczyc-Cruz talking about their recent book,  “Jesus and Justice”  - a book that is so, so important for these tense moments that we’re in. In this episode, Dom and Michael invite us into the world Jesus actually lived in — a world of occupied shores, commercialized lakes, and an empire that called itself...

Most of us were handed a script, right? THIS is what success looks like. THIS is what a good life is. THIS is what it means to be normal. BUT. What happens when that script starts to crack, when it just doesn't work anymore? In this episode, I’m joined by MaryAnn McKibben Dana, author of the amazing book, Better Than Normal; and we talk about what it means to step off that script - especially when...

Today we are talking to Liza Rankow about some things that just might hold the power to change the world. Liza J. Rankow, PhD, MHS, is an interfaith minister, educator, activist, and author. Her lifework centers the deep healing that is essential to personal and social transformation. Liza is the founder and former executive director of OneLife Institute, which for almost 20 years supported the we...

What happens to morality when the old rules no longer work? For many of us raised in Evangelical or fundamentalist Christianity, ethics once felt clear: follow God’s commands, trust the Bible, and do the right thing. But when that framework begins to fall apart, moral decision-making can suddenly feel confusing ... even frightening. In this episode of the What If Project, I’m joined by Dr. Scott G...

This week we are talking to Michael Leach. Michael served as Assistant to the Head Coach for the Chicago Bears, managed Labor Operations at NFL Headquarters, and become the first ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the White House under President Joe Biden. He recently released a wonderful book called "Faith Over Fear: Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty" and he's joined us...

This week NT Wright joins me to explore the vision behind his new book, God’s Homecoming: The Forgotten Promise of Future Renewal. Many of us were raised with an end-times story that was focused on escape—going to heaven when we die, the rapture, and the destruction of the world. BUT. What if that was never the Christian hope? In this conversation, NT Wright challenges fear-based eschatology and i...

Friends, today is my birthday AND the release of my new book, "Letters From My Soul". In this episode I share a bit about the book, read some chapter titles to you along with the Introduction. Give it a listen and head over to Amazon to pick one up for $14.99. If that's too steep, I get it - email me at whatifproject.net@gmail.com and I'll send you one for FREE. I am also happy to mail a signed co...

Friends, welcome to SEASON NINE of the podcast. To kick off a new season and a NEW YEAR (Happy New Year!) we're talking to a brand new guest - Dr. Hugo Mendez. Hugo is an associate professor in Ancient Mediterranean Religions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He recently wrote a book called "The Gospel of John: A New History" and it is FANTASTIC - a must read if you want to know...

Friends, welcome to the final episode of 2025. We're bringing the year (and season 8 of the podcast!) to a close with a new friend of the show - Amelia Hruby. Amelia wrote a book called "Your Attention is Sacred (Except on Social Media)" and she's on the show today to talk to us about some things we might not realize about social media and the way it impacts our everyday lives. I really set out to...

Friends, this week we are talking to the official tarot reader and astrologer of the What If Project, my friend - Stefanie Caponi. I love the work that Stefanie is doing in the world as she breaks down and presents ideas and topics that many were raised to fear (!) in profound and non-threatening ways. Today we revisit the topic of "tarot" and how it ties into manifestation and shadow work and can...

Friends. This week we are talking to Mory Fontanez about her book, "Higher Self: Reclaiming the Power of Your Intuition" and, let me tell you - this book is scratching me right where I itch. I was raised in a world where I was told to DISTRUST the voice inside. Heck, I was even told it was a DEMON that needed to be CAST OUT and sent to the pits of hell. You too? Just me? Anyways - Mory helps those...

This week we are talking to Brian McLaren about his new book (the first in a trilogy), "The Last Voyage". We talk about the current state of the world and how humanity can come together to envision and dream about a new way forward. Looking for some motivation and encouragement during these divisive moments that we're in? This one will help. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES: BRIAN MCLAREN: http://brianmclaren.ne...

Friends, it's time for another check in. How are you? What's going on? Email me at whatifproject.net@gmail.com if you want to chat. Today I want to tell you about our new kitten, Oreo. I also want to talk to you about how our family has been learning to grieve. And I want to tell you about some tweaks and changes coming to Season 9 of the What If Project, which kicks off in January 2026.  Are you...

(**NOTE: I had some audio issues with the episode and so had to cut out a few seconds here and there which is why edits might be more noticeable this week). If you grew up like me, in a conservative / fundamentalist / Evangelical world ... something in you likely cringed a bit when you saw the word "witchcraft" and "witch" in the title. It's OK to admit it - even the most "deconstructed" of us sti...