In All Things Podcast

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with a living legend, historian Mark Noll. Dr. Noll is best known for work in American church history, especially The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind. In this conversation we talk about a new book about C.S. Lewis’s reception in America, using it as a lens for understanding American culture, then and now. Among the topics we discuss: Have American Christians...

On this episode of the podcast I talk with Dr. Ingrid Faro, an Old Testament scholar and the author of a new book on evil in the Bible, Demystifying Evil: A Biblical and Personal Exploration. Among the topics we discuss: Why it is important to not separate Bible study from life but to do biblical reflection together with our deepest questions. Some of the most significant discoveries about the way...

On this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by commentator and NYT columnist David French, to talk about politics and his recent book Divided We Fall. We talk partisan polarization, public witness, and I even ask him to give some predictions for the election cycle ahead. Among the questions we discuss: David's journey to becoming "a man without a party" and whether this marginalizes him on both sid...

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with an art historian, Dr. Katie Kresser, about how art can train our imaginations to look at our neighbors and the world with dignity and love. She is a writer I follow closely, and her book, Bezalel's Body is the most thought-provoking book I’ve read in the last year! I was thrilled to have the chance to ask her some questions about it. Among the topics we...

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Dr. Amy Davis Abdallah about her new book, Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move Through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between. It’s a conversation about the power of ritual and how rituals help us find meaning and direction as we face endings, middles, and new beginnings. Among the topics we discuss: Why some people fear and might be suspicious...

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Dr. Meghan Sullivan about her book The Good Life Method. The book, which is based on a wildly popular course at the University of Notre Dame, prescribes philosophy as care for the soul, teaching us to ask stronger questions about God and what makes for a good life. Among the questions we discuss: The disconnect between the contemporary practice of philos...

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Dr. Kevin Hector about his new book Christianity as a Way of Life. The book is an unusual and illuminating approach to writing a systematic theology, explaining Christianity in terms of practices rather than merely an account of beliefs. Among the topics we discuss: Why understanding Christianity as a way of life (including practices, beliefs, and experi...

On this episode of the podcast, we talk with ethicist Jason Thacker about engaging artificial intelligence. The explosion of AI tools like ChatGPT, has led to both grand visions and grave concerns about the future, including the future of education and the future of work. In this conversation we seek to define the terms and seek biblical direction for our anxieties, hopes, and tech practices. Amon...

On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Dr. Mary Vanden Berg about her book Aquinas, Science, and Human Uniqueness: An Integrated Approach to What Makes Us Human. The conversation considers what makes humans unique in the face of a scientific culture (that tends to treat humans as mere animals) and technological advancement (that appears to reproduce intelligence artificially). Among the ques...

On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Dr. Karen Swallow Prior about her new book, The Evangelical Imagination. It’s a conversation about the stories, images, and metaphors that have shaped evangelical Christianity. Whether or not you consider yourself part of that movement/brand/space, you're invited to join us in examining what stories and images are shaping us. Among the topics we discuss...

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with two members of the band The Ruralists, Luke Hawley and Laremy Devries, about their new album, Trying. You may recognize the name and their music from the intro and the outro of this podcast. This was the 40th episode of the podcast, and we recorded it live on the stage of the B.J. Haan auditorium at Dordt University, with a small studio audience. They pl...

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Dr. Jeff Liou about his new book Christianity and Critical Race Theory. There are few topics more contentious than CRT, but in this conversation, we simply seek to demystify the discourse, to understand CRT, and to ask where there might be openings and oppositions for Christian discipleship as we seek to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our G...

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Dr. Alan Noble about his new book, On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living. Getting out of bed may seem like a simple thing to do, but for many who struggle with mental affliction, getting out of bed is an act of faith and defiance against despair, a testimony to that fact that life is worth facing. Among the topics we discuss: The differenc...

On this episode of the podcast I talk with Dr. David Taylor about his new book, A Body of Praise: Understanding the Role of Our Physical Bodies in Worship. For those of us who tend to think about worship as primarily a matter of the mind or heart, it’s a reminder about the role our physical bodies play in worship. It's an essential conversation, not least after the the upheavals and bodily depriva...

On this episode of the podcast, we are speaking with Dr. Kathryn Wehr, about her new annotated edition of Dorothy Sayers’s The Man Born to Be King, a series of 12 radio plays broadcast and published 80 years ago during the Second World War. It is a fascinating conversation of the unique complexities and tensions of adapting the gospels for dramatic production. Among the topics we discuss: Who was...

On this episode of the podcast, we are speaking with the Dr. Jennifer Rosner, about her book Finding Messiah: A Journey into the Jewishness of the Gospel. Dr. Rosner is a Jewish believer in Jesus Christ, and in this episode, she tells us her story, as well as the story of how these two deeply intertwined religious traditions have been torn apart, and what it might mean to weave them back together....

On this episode of the podcast, we interview poet Drew Jackson about his recently published collection of poems (God Speaks Through Wombs and Touch the Earth) in conversation with the gospel of Luke. Among the topics we discuss: The role of imagination as a pastor and as a poet How the Christian faith requires all of us to develop poetic imagination The process of writing poetry based on the bibli...

On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Cory Brock and Gray Sutanto about their new book, Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction (Lexham Press). We know that our listeners come from many different theological traditions other than our own, and although this discussion may at times go into the weeds, the larger conversation is about what it means to work out of a historical tradition, retri...

On this episode of the In All Things podcast, we speak with Dr. Kristen Page about her new book, The Wonders of Creation: Learning Stewardship from Narnia and Middle Earth. In this conversation, ecology and fantasy literature come together to train our imagination, practices, and pace. Among the topics we cover: How time spent in imaginary and literary worlds can slow us down and train our attenti...

On this episode of the podcast, I speak with Matthew Ichihashi Potts about his new book, Forgiveness: An Alternative Account. During the conversation, we consider the biblical teaching about forgiveness in the face of lingering grievance and ongoing harm. Among the topics we cover: How some demands for forgiveness might actually do more harm to those who have been hurt. How we can escape the binar...

On this episode of the podcast, our guest is Dr. Esau McCaulley. Our conversation revolves around two books, his critically acclaimed book Reading While Black and his brand-new book Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal. This thirtieth episode was special because we recorded it in-person in front of a live audience, who you may sometimes hear in the background. In any case, the conversation w...

On this episode of the podcast, I speak with David Zahl about his new book, Low Anthropology. It’s a conversation about the expectations we set on ourselves and others, and how recognizing and reckoning with human limitation, doubleness, and self-centeredness opens up space for both grace and growth. Among the topics we discuss: How burnout, loneliness, and “us vs. them” are signs of a high anthro...

On this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by a guest co-host Dr. Mark Christians, and together we interview Dr. Marjorie Lindner Gunnoe about her new book The Person in Psychology and Christianity: A Faith-Based Critique of Five Theories of Social Development. Among the topics we discuss: Why ordinary people might be interested in developmental psychology Why these five (Erikson, Bowlby, Skinner,...

On this episode of the podcast, I had the special treat of interviewing my doctoral supervisor, William (Bill) Dyrness about his new book, The Facts on the Ground: A Wisdom Theology of Culture. I tell the story of how I came to study with Bill, and talk shop with him about our shared interest in theology and culture. Among the topics we discuss:  Bill's story – which includes work as a missionary,...

On this episode of the podcast I talk with Stephanie Summers, the CEO of the Center for Public Justice about Christian political engagement as love of neighbor, and engagement that goes beyond presidential politics. Among the topics we discuss:  Stephanie's story of deepening her youthful activism with theological roots What is "public" justice, and what does the Center for Public Justice do? How...