In Good Faith

This episode explores the intersection of neurodiversity and spirituality, featuring three guests diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), David Gray Hammond, Father Matthew P. Schneider, and David Derbyshire. Each shares their insights on how autism impacts their spiritual lives and their unique relationship with God. David Gray Hammond, diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia, discu...

Jared Stewart shares how he, as someone diagnosed with autism, found a unique personal connection with God and offers insights into the neurodivergent experience in religious settings. He talks about the diversity within the autism spectrum, common misunderstandings, and offers suggestions on how congregations can better support neurodivergent members. Jared Stewart has spent over two decades work...

Rev. Dr. Katie O'Dunne discusses her experiences with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), including scrupulosity, and her journey through faith and healing. She shares deeply personal anecdotes about how it impacted her ministry, and her efforts to raise awareness and provide support within faith communities. Katie O'Dunne founded 'Stick with the Ick,' a virtual community for those navigating fai...

James Finley shares how he found solace in God amidst family trauma, inspired by Thomas Merton's writings, ultimately becoming a therapist and author. James Finley is faculty member of the Center for Action and Contemplation. Fr. Thomas Merton was Finley’s novice master and spiritual director while he was a monk at the Trappist monastery of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. He earned his Ph. D....

Jennifer Wiseman. PhD., emphasizes the importance of humility and curiosity in both scientific and spiritual endeavors, while also sharing personal experiences of awe and wonder. Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is an astrophysicist, author, and speaker. She studies the process of star and planet formation in our galaxy using radio, optical, and infrared telescopes. She is the Director Emeritus of the program...

Harold Koenig discusses how patients' religious beliefs and practices significantly impact their health and recovery, a realization that stemmed from his days as a nurse and later reinforced during his medical and psychiatric practice. Harold Koenig is Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. He is the lead a...

Rabbi Adina Allen discusses the profound connection between creativity, spirituality, and healing. She emphasizes that art and creativity are divine acts; the spiritual practice of creative expression is essential to understanding God. Rabbi Adina Allen is cofounder and creative director of Jewish Studio Project (JSP), an organization that sees creativity as a force for spiritual connection and so...

Robert Hesse, PhD., talks with Steve about a mystical experience that deeply affected his life and outlook. Hesse also describes his journey back to faith after years away, inspired by Thomas Merton's writings. Robert Hesse is a Catholic deacon and Chairman and Co-Founder of interfaith Contemplative Network. He is a practicing mystic and author of Faith and Science: A Journey into God’s Mystical L...

Zeyneb Sayilgan is a Muslim woman who grew up in Germany as the daughter of Turkish immigrants, where she faced discrimination and challenges due to her faith. She speaks about her move to the United States, where she found a more accepting environment. Zeyneb Sayilgan is the host of the Podcast On Being Muslim: Wisdom from the Risale-i Nur. Her work has appeared in scholarly and popular journals...

Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson talk to Steve about their organization Judaism Unbound. Lex Rofeberg is Senior Jewish educator for Judaism Unbound -- a digital, Jewish non-profit organization and oversees Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva (a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning), produces and co-hosts its weekly podcast, and facilitates regular forms of communal gathering, via Zoom, for Jews...

Curtis Chang of Redeeming Babel shares his journey of becoming a Christian from a non-Christian family, his youthful challenges of integrating faith with secular life, and his various roles bridging the worlds of theology and secular institutions. Curtis Chang is the founding executive director of Redeeming Babel and host of the Good Faith podcast. Over the course of his career, he has bridged the...

Michael Sabet, editor of The Journal of Bahá’í Studies, shares how religious law teaches him the depth of God's love for him personally and the rest of us, too. Michael Sabet is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto. His research involves putting a Bahá'í framework for governance into dialogue with political philosophy. He is a lawyer by training, having practiced const...

Jason Shelton describes how his family's religious experiences and membership in the AME Church influenced his research for his latest book, “The Contemporary Black Church: the new dynamics of African American religion.” Dr. Jason E. Shelton is Full Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. His research interests concern...

Daisy Khan of WISE returns to talk to Steve about her latest book, 30 Rights of Muslim Women. Daisy Khan is an award-winning author, public speaker, and media commentator. She founded the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), a global network promoting peacebuilding, gender equality, and human dignity. Dr. Khan's publications, WISE Up: Knowledge Ends Extremism, Born with...

Nijay Gupta of Slow Theology joins Steve for a chat about Tell Her Story, Gupta's exploration of women preachers, prophets, and leaders in the Bible. Nijay Gupta co-chairs the Pauline Theology seminar of the Institute for Biblical Research and serves as a senior translator for the New Living Translation. He also co-hosts the podcast, “Slow Theology: Simple Faith for Chaotic Times”. He is the autho...

Najah Bazzy, the founder of Zaman International, explains the catalytic moment of helping a refugee family that inspired her humanitarian work. She also discusses her dedication to addressing recurring needs in breaking cycles of poverty. like transportation, childcare, and hope. Najah Bazzy is an American humanitarian, interfaith leader, nurse, and founder and CEO of Zaman International, a nonpro...

Joseph Vukov, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago, discusses how to remain human in the AI era and shares the Catholic perspective on AI, relationships, and the divine. Joseph Vukov is the author of Navigating Faith and Science (2022), The Perils of Perfection (2023), and numerous academic articles on topics ranging from the ethics of neuroscience to the philosophy of mi...

Steve discusses Dr. King's A Letter from Birmingham Jail with Pastor Vinetta Golphin-Wilkerson and Dr. LaShawn Williams. Reverend Vinnetta Golphin-Wilkerson has been serving the West Valley City community since 2011, when she moved from Atlanta to Salt Lake City to lead the congregation of Granger Community Christian Church. During her time as reverend, she began hosting Project Cornucopia, an eve...

Can you change a city with a sandwich? Laura Baldwin describes how solving food insecurity in Atlanta helps people leave the streets and find stability. Her Jewish faith pushes her to help others. Laura Baldwin is vice-president of The Sandwich Project. On the average week, she collects between 200-400 sandwiches at her home that are distributed to local organizations who serve those experiencing...

Angela Rice of Interfaith Community Initiatives in Atlanta shares how she became involved with interfaith work and how she sees herself as an activist. Angela Harrington Rice is the Executive Director of Interfaith Community Initiatives, a community organization with a travel program called World Pilgrims. She worked for 35 years with Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters. Ms. Rice holds a Bachelor of A...

Lapidus & Myles, and interfaith musical duo, share three original compositions with Steve. The two met through the interfaith work of their congregations, Ebeneezer Baptist and The Temple in Atlanta. The duo writes and performs music aimed at addressing contemporary social issues and inspiring listeners Rabbi Micah Lapidus and Melvin Myles compose and perform music together in Atlanta, GA and acro...

Steve travels to Atlanta and sits down with Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser, who shares how interfaith work is civil rights work, and how Shabat might be the most important Jewish holiday. Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser has worked in congregations, at Jewish summer camps, and at Emory University’s Center for Israel Education. She is currently the part-time rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Fayetteville, GA. She...

Sherry Frank joins Steve from Atlanta to discuss Jewish involvement in civil rights and women's push for equality. They cover her connection to Daddy King (Martin Luther King, Sr.) and Congressman John Lewis, how committee and organizational work helped her achieve public good, and her decision to have an adult bat mitzvah. Sherry Frank has served on committees of United Way, the Atlanta Regional...

Steve travels to Atlanta and meets with Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley, a "foot soldier" in the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s--and involved now in climate crisis activism as an extension of his faith and civil rights work. The Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Durley was a student leader in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. He served in the U.S. Peace Corp in Nigeria before moving to Switzer...

Joshua Meyer discusses Eight Approaches, an art work of 8 panels that evokes Hanukkah, and his technique of painting with palette knives. Joshua Meyer is an artist based in Cambridge MA. Originally from Lubbock TX, he attended the Bezalel Academy of art and Design in Jerusalem and Yale University. His exhibit Eight Approaches has been featured at the BYU Museum of Art, Worcester Art Museum in Mass...