In Good Faith

How can we vary our worship? Join our host Steven Kapp Perry as he discusses silent worship with Susan Bentley. Listen for her stories on changing up her worship in the silence, in chapels and in hospital rooms. The Rev. Susan E. Bentley is an Episcopal priest, canonically resident in the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. She is currently serving as a PRN-Flex Chaplain at Carilion Clinic...

What is contemplative practice? Steve sits down with Dani Lee to talk about her experiences with self-emptying. Join them as they discuss the different forms of contemplative practice, and how community plays a part in silent worship. The Reverend Daniela Lee is the priest-in-charge at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Provo, Utah. Originally from Romania, Dani is married with two children. Currently...

How can silent worship help us experience the presence of God? Steve sits down with Joan and Rich Liversidge to talk about the experiences that led them to the Religious Society of Friends, commonly referred to as the Quakers. Join them as they discuss the forms and benefits of silent worship, and how they have encountered God in the stillness. Joan and Rich Liversidge have worshipped with the Rel...

Steve heads to the Japanese Buddhist temple in Salt Lake City to learn more about the religious holiday Obon with Reverend Jerry Hirano.

Steve, Lia, James, and Alia test their interfaith trivia knowledge as they take Interfaith America's online quiz! How many answers does our team know?

Steve hosts Corinna Tanner, Sudam Mane, and Joshua Rager for a discussion about what happens after we die. Corinna Trujillo Tanner joined the Brigham Young University College of Nursing as an Assistant Professor in 2019, after completing her PhD and a two-year National Institutes of Health Research Fellowship in cancer, aging and end of life. She holds post master’s certificates in Gerontology, Ad...

How can we continue learning and healing as we approach the end of our mortal life? Jewels Olsen sits down with Steve for a conversation about the end of life and how we can approach it with peace and reassurance, and how we can honor those we know who are dying. Jewels Olsen is a chaplain at Applegate Home and Hospice in Utah, where she has a passion for supporting those nearing the end-of-life t...

What is a holy death and how can we make sure our loved ones experience peace and love as they die? Episcopal Bishop Phyllis Spiegel joins Steve to describe how we can prepare ourselves and those who are dying for a process we all experiences. The Rt. Rev. Phyllis A. Spiegel was consecrated as the 12th Bishop of Utah on September 17, 2022. She is passionate about The Episcopal Church’s work of dee...

Welcome back to our mini-series on death. This week we are learning about near-death experience from Marianne Bahri. She speaks about her own NDE with senior producer Heather Bigley to discuss how her life was altered, and how introspective soul-searching helped her heal. Next week, we are speaking to Rev. Phyllis Spiegel and Jewels Chaplain to learn more about end-of-life care—stay tuned! Jyoti M...

Welcome to part one of our death mini-series! We are exploring near-death experiences, working with those at the end of life, and grieving a loss. In this episode, Steve sits down with Martin Tanner from KSL to discuss how hearing near-death experiences from other people have impacted his own religion. This episode is jam-packed with powerful stories and a desire to believe. Martin Tanner co-found...

Dr. Alp Aslandogan joins Steve for a conversation about his personal journey from Turkey to the U.S., his experiences with interfaith interactions, and how he integrates faith, science, and art under his belief in God. Dr. Alp reflects on faith, love, and compassion, as well as his commitment to fostering interfaith dialogue and understanding in secular society. Dr. Y. Alp Aslandogan is the Execut...

Carmela Javellana chats with Steve about the importance of crisis as an opportunity for growth and the universal nature of suffering. She shares how she came to Buddhism and the vibrant differences within Buddhism. Dr. Carmela Javellana is a volunteer assistant minister at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple since 2010, which includes leading meditation service, teaching Buddhism classes, and co-teachin...

Anne Snyder, Editor-in-Chief of Comment Magazine, joins Steve for a conversation about public theology. Discover how faith can transcend individual congregations and touch communities, blending spiritual and secular efforts. Anne shares her unique perspective shaped by her childhood experiences in outside the US and discusses the significance of public trust in religious and governmental instituti...

Can I discuss faith at work? Does my faith fit into my job? In this episode Steve sits down with Scott Warren to discuss faith in the workplace. Scott Warren also tells his conversion story and how he, and his whole family, dove head first into organized religion. He explains how this changed every aspect of his life... including his place of work and how he treated his work colleagues. Scott Warr...

Steven Kapp Perry speaks in-person with the Smiths. They each share how they were called to ministry and answered that call. They describe how to discern the voice of God in our lives, including how He has helped them and their children find a higher purpose. Dr. Welton Smith is the pastor of the Greater Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is involved in AIDS Awareness an...

This week, Steve meets Sam Wilkinson, author of "Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply about the Meaning of Our Existence." They discuss the idea that knowledge, both in science and in religion, are ever expanding. They also explore the psychological connection between serving a greater cause and feeling joy. Samuel T. Wilkinson is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University, whe...

In this episode of In Good Faith, Steven Kapp Perry speaks with Antonia Tomao. She shares a touching story of recovery from a brain tumor. During this difficult time, she learned to lean on God. After her recovery, she started a business to help others who are enduring a difficulty realize that they are not alone. Antonia is the CEO of Antonia’s Promise, originally creating cross jewelry as a symb...

How do you teach kids spiritual values? How do you have conversations that increase their empathy with other religious traditions? Steve sits down with podcaster and curriculum developer Jon Ogden. Jon shares how his religious upbringing inspired him to create a method to help families practice spirituality by drawing on the world's wisdom literature. Jon has worked as a teacher, curriculum creato...

Why do bad things happen to good people? How can we wrestle with God in times of trial? In this episode of In Good Faith, Steve sits down with local friend Susan Murphy. The discussion follows her journey with Catholicism and Christianity. Susan Murphy shares what she has learned in helping victims of sexual assault and incest, and how religion can provide a unique sense to healing. Susan Murphy i...

Steve speaks with Philip Goldberg about spirituality and how it can affect our understandings of other religions. Never before has the spiritual landscape been as diverse and abundant as it is today. Philip explains his anti-religious upbringing, how he learned about Eastern traditions, and how hosting an interfaith podcast has changed his life. Philip Goldberg is the author or co-author of numero...

Steve sits down with Bishop Gregory Gordon and Father Elias Kabuk to discuss attacks on Catholics in Nigeria and what we can do about it, here in the US. This is a sobering interview that covers the recent history of Boko Haram in Western Africa, a terrorist group that has killed over 50,000 people in the last 20 years. Originally from Philadelphia, the Most Reverend Gregory W. Gordon, STL, is the...

This week on the In Good Faith podcast, Steve speaks with Corey Nathan, host of the "Talkin’ Politics and Religion Without Killin’ Each Other" podcast. Together, they discuss how we can have conversations with people who have different core values from us; even if we strongly disagree, we can have these deep, meaningful discussions. He even shares ways that we can revitalize the media that is over...

Steve and Ashton from the IGF team are joined by BYU English professor Paul Westover and student Ruth Thomas. Together, they discuss C.S. Lewis' "A Grief Observed." In this book, C.S. Lewis openly reflects on the reality of life and death in the wake of his wife's tragic death. This book provides an honest account of the whirlwind that follows a loss—sometimes causing even the strongest believers...

In this conversation, Steve Kapp Perry interviews James Early. James describes his desire to get back to the original Christianity of Jesus. He has taught this philosophy for years as a member of the Christian Science Church. This episode also includes James' prison ministries and what he learned from teaching inmates. James Early is a Bible teacher and gives talks and conducts workshops on the Bi...

This week, Steve sits down with Cassidy Hall to discuss the power of queerness and silence. In this conversation, Cassidy describes her experienced with contemplative, toxic, and loving silences. She also explains the way that she sees and understands queerness. In fact, her new book is dedicated to "the queerness in all of us." This book ("Queering Contemplation: Finding Queerness in the Roots an...