Matters of Soul Importance with Roxane Salonen

When Ramona Trevino accepted a job to manage a Planned Parenthood clinic, she thought she would be helping girls and women live lives of abundant freedom through the promise of choice. But in time, the truth became evident, and she experienced a dramatic conversion of both faith and life, leading her out of the abortion industry and eventually to speaking out on life issues nationally. Ramona's me...

Bree Solstad, or, as she refers to herself on X, "Miss B Converted," describes herself as a former porn actress and producer whose life was transformed dramatically after a trip to Europe. While overseas, Bree was unexpectantly wooed away from the porn industry by a woman of whom Bree had little knowledge before the encounter. How did Bree, who grew up in a Christian home, find herself on a waywar...

In this episode, Dr. Stacy Trasancos will discuss the difference between science and what some have dubbed "scientism," and why it even matters. Dr. Trasancos brings with her discussions advanced degrees in chemistry, dogmatic theology, and systematic philosophy, as well as her work as an educator, speaker, author and mother committed to the intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church. Dr. Trasa...

Max and Micah Fischer, a Christian couple in their mid-20s, are a contrasting witness to these times in which studies show young people falling away from the Christian faith at lightning speed. Even as pews that previously were occupied by younger families are emptying, more young couples are also forgoing having children, not to mention marriage. Despite this marked shift in society, however, not...

Katie Bruckbauer grew up in a large, faith-filled family on a farm outside of Casselton, North Dakota. As a child, she loved to dance, and later, sought ways to bring her athletic and musical abilities together. She studied modern dance and creative movement, eventually working for a studio, and then owning it with two others in the Fargo-Moorhead area under the name 8th Street Studio of Dance. In...

Bette Grande considers herself a "recovering politician." That tells you a bit about her approach to politics. And yet she's been involved in helping form policy for decades. For an even longer period, she's been immersed in trying to follow the Lord. Can these two, politics and religion, coincide, or are they more like water and oil? Bette has been outspoken in her thoughts about such topics as a...

First of all, what is Fort Peck? It is a reservation in northeast Montana, the home of several federally recognized bands of Native American peoples: Assiniboine, Lakota and Dakota. It is also the place where I grew up, in the city of Poplar, where my parents, who'd been living and working in Wyoming, landed as teachers looking for jobs near their home state of North Dakota in the early 1970s. Ric...

In Matthew 8, we enter a scene in which a scribe promises Jesus that he will follow him wherever he goes. Jesus replies: "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."  In her past work as a school counselor, Jenessa Fillipi confronted the reality of Jesus having no place to rest his head when she learned that some of her students did not have a...

We've just celebrated our nation's birthday, but did everyone attend the party? In other words, is patriotism dead—or at least on life support? The country seems divided on its allegiances, and merely broaching the topic of patriotism opens a can of wiggly worms related to identity, unity and freedom. Mark Jorritsma of the North Dakota Family Alliance, an organization that embraces faith, family a...

You've heard of Original Sin, but what is Original Innocence? In this episode of "Matters of Soul Importance," we take a look at this concept articulated by Pope John Paul II in his "Theology of the Body" teachings. Erin McCole Cupp, a trauma recovery coach, will lead us into this fascinating topic, helping us better understand our often-flawed relationship with food, and how we can return to the...

Nancy Charles was moments away from ending her life when a question engulfed her: What if God and eternal life were real—and the pain she sought to escape would only be prolonged by her plan? This thought stopped her in her tracks, sending her on a desperate quest to find the answer. Just days later, Nancy entered a church, where she was engulfed again, this time with the presence and merciful lov...

Born in Telemark, Norway, in 1962, Janne Myrdal left her home country after high school to do humanitarian work for refugees. It was through that ministry, which focused on Central America and U.S. inner cities but was based in Texas, where she met Mark, a farmer from the Midwest. The two married in Skien, Norway, in 1994, and raised their three children in North Dakota. As a politician, Senator M...

In this episode of "Matters of Soul Importance," we revisit the question that gained attention through conservative political commentator Matt Walsh's "What is a woman?" documentary, tweaking it a bit to ask, "What is a man?" Rob Marco has been asking this question since his teenage years as a boy growing up in a loving but mostly unchurched home in Pennsylvania. Rob began to sense God's unrelenti...

In this episode of "Matters of Soul Importance," we ask, Rollie Johnson, Lutheran lay pastor, outdoor enthusiast and motivational speaker, "What does God's voice sound like?" When Christians or other people of faith say they have heard God's voice, what does that mean? Does God really speak to them or is it more a stirring in one's heart? Rollie, whose passions include bow hunting and building, se...

According to Wikipedia, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, who lived from May 1874 to June 1936, was an English writer, philosopher, Christian apologist, and literary and art critic. Some have referred to him as "the prince of paradox." As Time magazine once observed, "Whenever possible, Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs and allegories—first carefully turning them inside out." One o...

In this episode of "Matters of Soul Importance," we ask, "Who was Ann Dahl?" Ann was many things: a southerner by origin who married a northerner and lived much of her life in North Dakota; a woman who was well-traveled, dedicated to her family, and who thirsted to know God better. Ann Dahl's death in January 2023 caused the earth to heave, yet the majority of those listening to this podcast likel...

Why would a good God allow suffering? This question has been asked through every age, by all of humanity, and yet suffering seems to be an integral part of our being human. Since no one will get through this world without having gone through suffering of some kind, perhaps there is a way to bring it into a positive light? In this episode of "Matters of Soul Importance," author and speaker Elizabet...

God is eager to reveal himself to us, and throughout the ages, humans have discovered God in many ways—including in good literature. In the Christian religion, God is described as "The Word," which seems to imply that, from the get-go, God wants us to discover him through language.  In this episode of "Matters of Soul Importance," Nancy Gourde, a retired English teacher who has shared good literat...

As one of the millions of women who has endured an abortion, Jody Clemens is equipped to speak passionately about whether abortion is really healthcare, as so many these days contend. In the second part of this two-part interview, she illuminates how she arrived at the decision to end the life of her child, along with her shattering regret. Jody also shares how she found freedom after years of hid...

As one of the millions of women who has endured an abortion, Jody Clemens is equipped to speak passionately about whether abortion is really healthcare, as so many these days contend. In this interview, she illuminates how she arrived at the decision to end the life of her child, along with her shattering regret. Jody also shares how she found freedom after years of hiding her deep, dark secret. N...

"Beauty can save the world." It's a phrase that has been uttered in recent decades by various writers. But what exactly does this mean? Can beauty be quantified? Can we agree on what is beautiful? And if so, can it save the world? How? In this episode, we touch on the three transcendentals of truth, beauty, and goodness. Though all are important factors in drawing us to the Faith, some have predic...

On July 14, 2023, the community of Fargo, North Dakota, experienced what some have called the city's 911 equivalent— an ambush of police officers who stopped to assist at a midday fender-bender. The frightening incident left one young officer dead and three others critically injured, but the shooter's plan to drive onward to the well-populated Fargo Street Fair was diverted. Did evil have the last...

In this episode, Roxane chats with Lutheran Pastor Devlyn Brooks about his faith and career journeys, and how they eventually merged, with the goal of answering whether these two spheres can rest comfortably together. Plain Talk, Episode #273 (Dec. 2021): Is America's Religious Decline Good or Bad? https://www.inforum.com/opinion/columns/plain-talk-why-is-religion-declining-in-america Roxane's col...

She's been interviewing people for decades now, turning those discussions into newspaper articles. Now, Roxane Salonen, faith writer, brings her conversations with guests to the podcast realm, taking on topics we're told to avoid—religion and (occasionally) politics. Stop by for fresh episodes the first and third Fridays of the month, or anytime in between, to hear from guests as they ponder our e...