In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer

Jason G. Green joins me to discuss his memoir Too Precious to Lose . We talk about his years serving President Obama, the lessons he learned from his grandmother, and why community, not chaos, must shape America’s future. _____ Watch the Film  Finding Fellowship Visit Jason G. Green Online _____ I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists, and change-maker...

Historian and ordained Episcopal priest Randall Balmer joins Frank Schaeffer to discuss his powerful new book, America’s Best Idea . Together they explore the true history of church-state separation, the myth of America as a Christian nation, the Treaty of Tripoli, the Supreme Court’s recent rulings, and why evangelical Christians may lose the most if Christian nationalism succeeds. A truth-tellin...

Why the MAGA movement is far smarter, and far more dangerous, than liberals want to admit. Political theorist Laura K. Field joins me to expose the philosophical, religious, and institutional ideas driving the MAGA New Right. From elite Catholic theorists to post-liberal power strategies, this conversation reveals why Trumpism didn’t come out of nowhere, and why ignoring it is no longer an option....

Journalist William J. Kole joins me to talk about In Guns We Trust and the rise of gun culture inside white evangelical Christianity. We discuss fear, politics, self-defense myths, suicide, and why firearms have come to occupy a moral place once reserved for Jesus. _____ LINKS https://www.billkolebooks.com _____ I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists,...

Why Play Matters for Children and Families | Making It Up with Christopher Mannino A conversation about play, attention, and why being fully present with children is some of the most important work we do. I’ve spent a lifetime raising children and helping raise grandchildren. In this conversation with Christopher Mannino, I found myself recognizing ideas I’ve learned not from books, but from years...

In this conversation, I speak with Sharon Eubank about what it really means to help other people without stripping them of dignity or agency. Drawing on decades of humanitarian work, Sharon reflects on accountability, choice, faith, and why good intentions alone are not enough. We talk about suffering not as an abstract problem, but as something that asks something of us in our communities, our in...

Novelist TJ Poortinga joins me to discuss Electric Orange , a prophetic satire exposing Christian nationalism, evangelical power, masculinity, and political rage — written by someone who knows the culture from the inside. _____ LINKS Electric Orange by TJ Poortinga https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FRKVT7KX https://bookshop.org/a/99692/9798999882400 I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the lead...

Filmmaker Petra Costa and producer Alessandra Orofino join Frank Schaeffer to explore how evangelical movements fused with authoritarian politics in Brazil—and why the same forces are reshaping democracy in the United States. Watch Apocalypse in the Tropics I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists, and change-makers of our time on this podcast, and I wa...

What happens when a beagle bred for laboratory research gets a second life—and changes a human forever? Journalist and author Melanie D.G. Kaplan joins me for a conversation about her book Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research . It’s also our December pick for It Has to Be Read . At the center of the story is Hammy—a former lab dog who survived isolati...

Frank Schaeffer talks with Tufts University Catholic Chaplain Lynn A. Cooper , author of Embracing Our Time: The Sacrament of Interfaith Friendship , about building real connection across difference in an era of polarization and loneliness. They explore the Interfaith Student Council model, how trauma reshapes a life, the pressure-cooker reality of campus faith after Hamas’ attack and amid Christi...

What happens when the architect of a war knows—deep down—that it cannot be won? In this episode of In Conversation with Frank Schaeffer , I speak with William Taubman and Philip Taubman about their new book, McNamara at War: A New History , which is our December “It Has to Be Read” selection. William Taubman is a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian. Philip Taubman is a longtime journalist and former...

Landscape designer Steve Griggs joins Frank Schaeffer for a raw, funny, deeply human conversation about rising from a working-class New York childhood to becoming one of America’s premier landscape artists — featured in Forbes , WSJ , HuffPost and Bravo’s Backyard Envy . Steve reveals the truth about designing for the ultra-wealthy, why taste beats money every time, how stonework builds character,...

Frank Schaeffer talks with bestselling author and theologian Diana Butler Bass about Advent, spiritual resilience, and her new book A Beautiful Year . In this powerful conversation, they explore the meaning of “fear not” in a time of political turmoil, the role of the Christian liturgical calendar in daily life, and how ancient spiritual practices help us navigate modern anxiety, grief, and uncert...

Neurologist Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor, MD joins Frank Schaeffer to talk about her powerful new memoir Whispers of the Mind — a life in neurology, grief, intuition, near-death stories, medical gaslighting, and one extraordinary golden retriever named Prancer who became a four-legged healer in the clinic. _____ LINKS https://www.carolynlarkintaylorauthor.com/ Whispers of the Mind: A Neurologist&apos...

What happens when a former evangelical-turned-atheist-who-prays sits down with a Catholic engineer–philosopher who nearly became a priest… and then founded a medical device company… and then wrote a book arguing that logic, science, and divinity aren’t enemies but dance partners ? Frank Schaeffer speaks with Brian Cranley , author of The Call of Wonder: How the God of Reason Created Science in His...

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Karen Elliott House joins Frank Schaeffer to talk about her remarkable new book, The Man Who Would Be King, Muhammad bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia . Across four decades of reporting on the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, Karen has developed rare access to the kingdom’s inner world — including seven in-depth meetings with Crown Prince Muhammad bin...

Engineer and author Barbara Oakley joins Frank Schaeffer to explore how censorship damages the brain, why education is broken, and how real thinking can save democracy. _____ https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn https://www.lovechildrenplanet.com/events/barbara-oakley-how-free-speech-amp-cognitive-flexibility-save-democracy _____ I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the le...

Unpacking The Gospel with Christian Smith, PhD Frank Schaeffer joins sociologist Christian Smith, PhD, author of "Why Religion Went Obsolete" and "Moral Believing Animals", for a deep conversation about Frank’s new book, "The Gospel of Zip." Together they explore the book’s central themes: how dogs teach us humility, forgiveness, and connection; what Frank calls the “...

Why am I giving my book away for free? I’ve been a writer my whole life, but this book—The Gospel of Zip—is different. It’s about my dog, Zip. It’s about my fifty-six-year relationship with my wife, Genie. It’s about what I’ve learned really matters: love, caregiving, family, friendship. In a world that feels more divided than ever, I wanted to offer something honest and healing. That’s why I’m no...

Dr. Clint Heacock spent decades pursuing the “victorious Christian life” promised by Bill Gothard and conservative Christianity. Instead, he witnessed spiritual control, family harm, and the failure of authoritarian religion. In this conversation, Clint shares: Growing up in Gothard-influenced Christianity His journey through Bible college, ministry, and a Ph. D. in theology Why he left the faith...

Sam Daley-Harris has spent more than four decades proving that ordinary citizens can make extraordinary change. He founded the anti-poverty lobby RESULTS , co-founded the Microcredit Summit Campaign with Muhammad Yunus, and leads Civic Courage to empower citizen advocacy around the world. In this conversation, we talk about reclaiming democracy, building political will, and why real change starts...

Author and researcher Dr. Jean M. Twenge joins Frank Schaeffer to talk about the crisis of parenting in a high-tech world. With over 190 scientific publications and her groundbreaking new book 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World , Dr. Twenge offers clear, practical strategies for reclaiming childhood from smartphones, social media, and gaming. _____ LINKS https://www.generationtechblog....

Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Marc J. Dunkelman, exploring his work and the themes of his book, “Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and How to Bring It Back” _____ LINKS https://watson.brown.edu/people/visiting/dunkelman  https://www.lovechildrenplanet.com/events/it-has-to-be-read-why-nothing-works-by-marc-j-dunkelman _____ I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading autho...

Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Sally McQuillen, exploring her work and the themes of her book, Reaching for Beautiful: A Memoir of Loving and Losing a Wild Child . _____ LINKS https://www.sallymcquillen.com/ https://www.lovechildrenplanet.com/events/in-conversation-with-frank-schaeffer-sally-mcquillen _____ I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists...

Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Jessa Crispin, exploring her work and the themes of her book, What Is Wrong With Men . _____ LINKS https://www.jessacrispin.com https://substack.com/@theculturewedeserve _____ I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists, and change-makers of our time on this podcast, and I want to personally thank you for subscribing, l...