Good God

Doug Pagitt is an author, pastor, social activist, and the Executive Director of Vote Common Good. A leading voice for progressive Christianity, in this episode he addresses the midterm elections, the rising influence of Christian Nationalism, and why voters should make faith, hope and love their guide for their voting criteria as opposed to their party choice.

Theologian Robert Hunt explores the relationship between religion and science in this episode, identifying the role each one plays in addressing the global ecological crisis. He explains that all people of faith have the imperative to care for the earth. Hunt is the Director of Global Theological Education and the Director of the Center for Evangelism at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology.

Myles Werntz unpacks why we continue to be plagued in our churches and in our communities by seemingly intractable conflicts, and how the teaching of ethics to young ministers in training may be part of the remedy. Myles is the Director of the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University.

Tom Leatherbury is the Director of the First Amendment Clinic at Southern Methodist University and a partner at the law firm of Vinson & Elkins LLP. In this episode, he and George discuss the First Amendment and free speech implications of recent legislation in Texas and 32 other states.

The future is dark. Is this the darkness of the tomb—or the darkness of the womb? Valarie Kaur is a renowned civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, innovator, and best-selling author of SEE NO STRANGER. She leads the Revolutionary Love Project to reclaim love as a force for justice. In this conversation, Valarie Kaur reframes the present moment in history as one of transit...

Dr. Brian Williams was a surgeon on call at Parkland Hospital on July 7, 2016 and operated on the victims of the Dallas police shooting that launched the Back the Blue campaign. Hear how that night and its trauma, combined with the tragedies of the previous two days--the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile--positioned him to be a spokesperson and activist for racial justice.

Carl Sherman, the State Representative responsible for the Botham Jean Act, explains how he transformed street protests into public policy.

Her title is: Gun Violence Prevention Minister. And she's the only minister like this that exists, anywhere. Listen to Deanna Hollas from Dallas talk about the importance of her ministry and her views on guns, the Second Amendment, and the prophet Isaiah's vision of a peaceable kingdom.

Sonja Miller, faith director for the Texas Freedom Network, talks reproductive rights, public education, and blurring the lines between left and right.

Terry Greenberg leads an effort in Dallas to reduce unintended teen pregnancy. She and George talk about the lead causes of teen pregnancies and how they can be avoided through conversation, education and the support of the faith community. Visit ntarupt.org and TalkAboutItDallas.com to learn about these local efforts. Watch their conversation here and listen on Apple Podcast or wherever you get y...

Mitri Raheb is a Palestinian Christian, born in Bethlehem across the street from where Jesus was born. He speaks on the conflict between Israel and Palestine and his creation of interfaith communities that respond to Palestinian suffering through art.

Kristin Du Mez reminds us that she is a historian first, even though her sensational book, Jesus and John Wayne, has invoked fierce theological backlash from evangelicals. Hear her response to the pushback, plus a breakdown of the patriarchy that is so persistent in evangelical churches.

Rabbi Rachel Mikva wrote the book, Dangerous Religious Ideas, and she is here to discuss the ways that religion is harmful.

Carl Sherman, the State Representative responsible for the Botham Jean Act, explains how he transformed street protests into public policy.

Just days before Martin Luther King Day, Reverend Dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes III talks with George about the misconceptions surrounding Dr. King’s legacy, and the important difference between equity and equality.

Reverend Dr. Lillian Daniel, of First Congregational Church in Dubuque, Iowa, talks pronouns, biblical interpretation, and her preference of religion over spirituality.

Hugo Magallanes, Associate Dean of Perkins School of Theology and professor of Christianity and Culture, joins us today to discuss how he weaves the subject of immigration into his academic work.

Tess Clarke, director of We Welcome Refugees, shares her most impactful stories, and stresses the importance of putting yourself in the shoes of an immigrant.

Jesús Romero is the director of the ISAAC Project, a San Antonio-based organization that can help churches become more involved in immigration aid. Hear his story as a first generation immigrant and advocate for the cause.

Sid Earnheart is an immigration attorney and advocate for Texas Impact. He also has a ministry degree from Perkins School of Theology. Hear how he merges all three perspectives.

Pia Orrenius, VP and senior economist with the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas, discusses the economics of immigration. She and George also explain how migration is a central theme in the biblical story.

Elket Rodriguez, an immigrant and refugee specialist, works for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Fellowship Southwest. He addresses common myths about immigrants, and offers four practical suggestions for how you can help.

Beth Barr is the author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. She is here to speak with us on an important issue: complementarianism and suppression of women in the church.

Laura Collins is the director of the Bush Institute, SMU Economic Growth Initiative. She shares compelling arguments as to why immigration is good for the economy.

John Garland is pastor of the San Antonio Mennonite Church, and hospitality to strangers is at the heart of his work. Garland shares remarkable modern-day stories that sound like they were taken out of a page of the New Testament.