Give and Take

In this episode Scott is joined by historian and freelance journalist Molly Worthen. Her newest book is Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History From The Puritans To Donald Trump. They explore the themes of charisma, storytelling, and personal belief. They discuss the complexities of faith, the journey from observer to practitioner, and the role of charismatic leaders in shaping cultural n...

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott Jones sits down with pastor and author Jack Haberer to discuss his new book, Swimming With the Sharks: Leading the Full Spectrum Church in a Red-and-Blue World. As political polarization increasingly shapes—and often divides—American congregations, Jack brings hard-earned wisdom, theological depth, and pastoral sensitivity to the challenge of leading churche...

On this episode of Give and Take, I talk with Lauren Jackson, writer of The Believing Project at The New York Times. Lauren explores the strange, beautiful, and sometimes baffling terrain of American religious life—what we believe, why we believe it, and how belief shapes the way we live. We talk about the origin of her project, the state of faith in an increasingly secular age, and why the storie...

My guest is David Litt. His newest book is It's Only Drowning: A True Story of Learning to Surf and the Search for Common Ground. Litt, a former Obama speechwriter moves to the Jersey Shore and learns to surf with the help of his brother-in-law: a tattooed, truck-driving Joe Rogan superfan. David, the Yale-educated writer with a fear of sharks, and Matt, the daredevil electrician with a shed full...

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott talks with essayist and cultural critic William Deresiewicz about his provocative piece Post Election, published in Salmagundi magazine. They explore the growing disaffection with the contemporary left among intellectuals, artists, and other traditional allies, and the emergence of what Deresiewicz calls the “not-left.” It's a wide-ranging conversation about...

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott talks with Justin Evans, author of The Little Book of Data . Justin has spent his career helping companies and creatives make sense of the numbers that shape our world. In his new book, he distills big ideas about data into bite-sized insights that are accessible, engaging, and surprisingly fun. We talk about how data can clarify rather than complicate, how...

In this episode, I’m joined by Todd McGowan, philosopher, psychoanalytic theorist, and author of Universality and Identity Politics. We explore the central argument of his book—that true political transformation requires a return to universality, not a retreat into particular identities. Todd challenges prevailing assumptions about identity-based movements and offers a compelling alternative groun...

My guest is Thane Rosenbaum. His latest book, Beyond Proportionality: Israel’s Just War in Gaza , challenges prevailing narratives surrounding Israel's military actions in Gaza, arguing that accusations of disproportionate force overlook the complexities of modern urban warfare and the legal standards governing armed conflict. Drawing upon international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conve...

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott talks with Elizabeth MeLampy, author of Forget the Camel: Animals, Symbols, and the Stories We Tell. From rattlesnake roundups in Texas to lobster boils on the Maine coast, and the curious case of a certain Pennsylvanian groundhog, MeLampy explores the surprising ways animals help us build communities, confront our fears, and make meaning in a messy world. T...

My guest is Kelsey Osgood. She is the author of Godstruck: Seven Women's Unexpected Journeys to Religious Conversion. Driven by a profound curiosity and anchored by intimate reporting, Godstruck is a provocative, insightful, and refreshingly nuanced exploration of both the joys and the challenges of faith that reveals what these seekers can teach all of us about modern life and our own searches fo...

In this episode of Give and Take, I talk with journalist and author Benyamin Cohen about one of the most bizarre and largely forgotten chapters of World War II history—when dozens of high-ranking Nazis spent the war years not in prison camps, but in luxury at a West Virginia resort. We’re talking about the Greenbrier Hotel, a grand, opulent resort nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, where captured...

My guest is Tamara Dean. In the midst of the environmental crises of the early twenty-first century, Tamara Dean sought a way to live lightly on the planet. Her quest drew her to a landscape unlike any other: the Driftless area of Wisconsin, a region untouched by glaciers, marked by steep hills and deeply carved valleys, capped with forests and laced with cold, spring-fed streams. There, she confr...

In this episode of the podcast I talk with David Zahl about his new book, The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace in a Worn-Out World. In a time when burnout, anxiety, and relentless pressure are everyday companions, Zahl offers a powerful case for why grace—real, honest, unconditional grace—is more urgent than ever. Drawing on personal stories, cultural analysis, and theological insight, The Big Rel...

My guest is Daniel Breyer. His debut novel is Smokebirds . In the near future, when every autumn is fire season in California, wealthy San Franciscans flee their city for smoke-free pastures. Among them are the Petersons, a family enriched by the lumber industry, who traditionally spend every August in Hawaii. This annual retreat, once a period of leisure and luxury with golf, hikes, and high-soci...

My guest is Daniel Oppenheimer. Daniel is the host of Eminent Americans, a podcast about the writers and public intellectuals who either are key players in the American intellectual scene or who typify an important aspect of it. Special Guest: Daniel Oppenheimer .

On this episode of Give and Take, host Scott Jones sits down with Denise Hamilton to discuss her debut book, Indivisible . A visionary leader and advocate for inclusion, Hamilton explores what it truly means to bridge divides in an increasingly polarized world. Together, they delve into the urgent need for unity, the challenges of fostering meaningful conversations across differences, and how indi...

In this episode of Give and Take, host Scott Jones sits down with Amanda Marcotte, author of Troll Nation and Senior Writer at Salon Magazine, for a sharp and incisive discussion on the forces reshaping American politics and culture. As Elon Musk’s influence extends beyond Silicon Valley into the political arena, and Christian Nationalism gains traction in the nation’s discourse, they examine the...

My guest is Amanda Tyler, the Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and a leading voice in the fight to uphold the separation of church and state. In her new book, How to End Christian Nationalism , Amanda lays out a compelling case against this growing movement, exposing its impact on democracy, religious freedom, and social justice. In this conversation, we expl...

My guest is Jennifer Briney. She''s the host of the widely acclaimed podcast Congressional Dish , joins us for a critical discussion on the state of American governance. Congressional Dish is dedicated to illuminating the workings of Congress, where the American people hold their greatest political power. With an unflinching, nonpartisan approach, Briney examines the actions of elected officials a...

My guest is Marci Shore. Marci Shore is associate professor of history at Yale University, specializing in European intellectual history, with a focus on twentieth- and twenty-first-century Central and Eastern Europe. She earned her M.A. from the University of Toronto in 1996 and her Ph. D. from Stanford University in 2001. Shore is the translator of The Black Seasons _by Michał Głowiński and the...

My guest is Todd McGowan. HIs newest book is Pure Excess: Capitalism and the Commodity . In it he forges a new theory of capitalism as a system based on the production of more than what we need: pure excess. He argues that the promise of more―more wealth, more enjoyment, more opportunity, without requiring any sacrifice―is the essence of capitalism. Previous socioeconomic systems set up some form...

My guest is Lisa Sharon Harper. She's an author, podcaster, activist, and sought after speaker. She joins me to talk about what it looks like to bear witness to the Christian faith it what feels like an increasingly post-democratic cultural moment in America. Special Guest: Lisa Sharon Harper.

My guest is Mark Oppenheimer. He returns to the show to talk about the current American religious landscape. We discuss a recent piece in The Atlantic that he calls "evangelical fear mongering." We also talk about his recent review of Jonathan Rauch's new book [Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy]( https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Purposes-Christianitys-Bargain-Democracy/dp/03...

My guest is Harold Dean Trulear. Dean has served as Associate Professor of Applied Theology at Howard University School of Divinity since 2003. He joins me to talk about the future of Martin Luther King's dream in Donald Trump's America. Special Guest: Harold Dean Trulear.

My guest is Shenequa Golding. She doesn’t aim to speak for all Black women. They're too vast, too vibrant, and too complicated. As an adult, Golding begins to own her boldness, but growing up, she found herself “kind of in the middle,” fluctuating between not being the fly kid or the overachiever. Her debut collection of essays, A Black Girl in the Middle , taps into life’s wins and losses, repres...