Reimagining the Good Life with Amy Julia Becker

What does it mean to be healthy? Can people with disabilities be healthier than typical people? What does it mean to be healed by God? Dr. Brian Brock, author of Wondrously Wounded , talks with Amy Julia Becker about the body of Christ and disability, his experience as the dad of a son with Down syndrome, and what it means for all of us to move toward wholeness. For full show notes, quotes, and mo...

“In some ways, we judge the story by the storyteller.” Colonialism corrupted the beautiful message of the Gospel when it forced Christianity on Indigenous people. The First Nations Version of the New Testament (FNV) seeks to remove those colonial barriers and present the beauty of Jesus’ story. Terry Wildman, lead translator and project manager of FNV, talks with Amy Julia about how this translati...

Black literature powerfully expands our theological imaginations. Danté Stewart, writer, speaker, and author of Shoutin’ in the Fire , talks with Amy Julia Becker about literature, theology, Black Jesus, and finding beauty and faith free from traditions bound to white spaces.  Giveaway : We’re giving away a copy of Shoutin’ in the Fire . To enter, complete the following 2 steps: Follow Amy Julia B...

In a society filled with disconnect and division, how can the Enneagram guide us toward compassionate living within our communities? Suzanne Stabile, teacher and author of numerous books, including The Journey Toward Wholeness , talks with Amy Julia Becker about the Enneagram’s identification of the nine different ways of seeing the world and the healing available through naming who we are. We&apo...

We’ve heard the rhetoric that demonizes Critical Race Theory. But should citizens of the Kingdom of God have a different response? David Bailey, executive director of Arrabon, talks with Amy Julia Becker about Critical Race Theory and peacemaking, the removal of Confederate monuments, and the use of history as a means to heal. Show Notes: Guest Bio: David Bailey is the executive director of Arrabo...

A life without limits is part of the American dream. But what if living within limits is the key to a spacious life? What if we say “no” to hustle and hurry? Ashley Hales, author of A Spacious Life , talks with Amy Julia Becker about the benefits of limits, the goodness of interdependence within community, and the space needed to be attentive to others. Show Notes: Guest Bio: “Ashley Hales is a wr...

What is privilege? How can we leverage it to proclaim God’s love to the world and create communities that flourish? Dominique DuBois Gilliard, the author of Subversive Witness , talks with Amy Julia about the church and privilege, economic justice, and how to leverage privilege in order to demonstrate the Gospel in innovative and faithful ways. Show Notes: Guest Bio: “Dominique DuBois Gilliard is...

What is a meaningful life? Does thinking about disability change your answer? Heather Lanier, author of Raising a Rare Girl , talks with Amy Julia about her daughter’s diagnosis and subsequent reactions from medical professionals, parents’ expectations for their children, the gift of vulnerability, the power of language, and the truth that love is stronger than fear. SHOW NOTES: Heather Lanier “is...

It’s been a rough year. Protests, political division, a global pandemic. And our bodies ache. Our friendships feel strained. We’ve had too much to drink. We haven’t exercised enough. On a self-care level and a social-care level, we are not doing well.  In the midst of all the personal and social turmoil, Season 5 of the Love is Stronger than Fear podcast begins next week. In this season, I’m looki...

Can peacemaking dismantle racism? Osheta Moore, author of Dear White Peacemakers , offers a warm and welcoming invitation to White people as she talks with Amy Julia about antiracism, the difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking, and the equalizing nature of our belovedness. Show Notes: “Osheta Moore is a writer, pastor, speaker, and podcaster in Saint Paul, Minnesota, as well as a mother o...

Why should Christians in particular participate in the work of reparations? Duke Kwon and Greg Thompson, the co-authors of Reparations , talk with Amy Julia about white supremacy, the harms and thefts of centuries of racism, and the imaginative, beautiful, restoring work of reparations. (scroll down for book giveaway!) Show Notes: Duke L. Kwon is the lead pastor at Grace Meridian Hill in Washingto...

“What does it mean for me to actually be a Potawatomi woman? To be a Christian? To be human?” Author Kaitlin Curtice, a member of the Potawatomi Nation, joins Amy Julia on the podcast to talk—and to ask questions— about racial and religious identity, holidays and traditions, and entering into an expansive understanding of the love of God. Show Notes: As both a member of the Potawatomi Nation and a...

What does thriving, interdependent community look like? Rev. Dr. Matt Floding talks with Amy Julia about Friendship House, a sustainable housing model where graduate students and adults with intellectual disabilities live in interdependent communities. They focus on the beautiful work that is possible when communities refuse to believe in scarcity and fear and rather trust in the abundant love and...

Is diversity or discipleship the answer to segregation within the American church? David Swanson, pastor and author of Rediscipling the White Church , talks with Amy Julia about the segregated American church, the white church’s discipleship problem, and how rethinking discipleship can grow communities of welcome that break down barriers. (Scroll down for book giveaway details!) Show Notes: “David...

What is the role of art in bringing hope and healing to the fractures of our world? Makoto Fujimura, a leading contemporary artist and the author of Art+Faith , talks with Amy Julia about creating beauty through brokenness, the art of waiting and making, and how the theology of God’s new creation transforms communities of Christ. Show Notes: Makoto Fujimura is the author of Art+Faith: A Theology o...

How should Christians care for immigrants and respond to the divisiveness surrounding immigration policies in the United States? Briana Stensrud, director of Women of Welcome , talks with Amy Julia about her journey from working in the pro-life movement to working with immigrants, biblical hospitality, and what extending welcome to immigrants could look like today. SHOW NOTES: Briana Stensrud is a...

How do we respond with courageous love in order to bridge the divisions facing our country? Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, Raymond Chang, and Amy Julia Becker reflect on racial injustice, unity, discipleship, and ways to courageously love our neighbors. Show Notes: Natasha Sistrunk Robinson is an author, speaker, former US Marine Corps captain, Naval Academy Graduate, and founder of Leadership LINKS,...

Is healing possible for women coming out of abuse, addiction, sex trafficking, and prostitution? Thistle Farms ambassador, Dorris Walker-Taylor, tells her story of loss, drugs, life on the street, and the healing power of love that she found at Thistle Farms. SHOW NOTES: Dorris Walker-Taylor is an ambassador for Thistle Farms. Follow Thistle Farms online: Website: thistlefarms.org Instagram: @This...

Marxism is often mentioned when talking about progressive views of justice, but what are the secular concepts that shape conservative views of justice? Are they biblical? Corey Widmer, lead pastor of Third Church in Richmond, VA, tells his story of moving into, and out of, a neighborhood in the inner city of Richmond, and he talks with Amy Julia about race, white evangelicalism, faith, and biblica...

Erin and David Leaverton sold their house, loaded their three, young children into an RV, and traveled the country for a year. Their family’s journey is part of the documentary The Reunited States . Erin Leaverton talks with Amy Julia about their search for what divides our nation, the false hierarchy of human value, and the durable power of God’s love to heal division. SHOW NOTES: Erin Leaverton...

Can acknowledging the wounds of white evangelicalism actually bring healing? Kristin Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne , talks with Amy Julia about the harm of militant masculinity and Christian nationalism found within white evangelicalism and the hope for healing by exposing and addressing those wounds. SHOW NOTES: Kristin Kobes Du Mez is professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin Un...

How do spiritual practices equip us to participate in God’s healing work in the world? Rich Villodas, pastor and author of The Deeply Formed Life , talks with Amy Julia about social divisions, the relationship between inner spiritual formation and outward actions, and God’s healing work within individuals and communities. SHOW NOTES: “Rich Villodas  is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fel...

Can God truly heal, redeem, and transform brokenness? Katherine Wolf, coauthor of Suffer Strong and cofounder of Hope Heals , talks with Amy Julia about the reality of disability and pain, redefining brokenness and healing, and the game-changing nature of community. (Keep scrolling for book giveaway!) “Katherine Wolf miraculously survived a catastrophic stroke caused by a congenital brain defect s...

Liuan Huska, author of Hurting Yet Whole , talks with Amy Julia about chronic illness and pain, experiencing wholeness while living in suffering, and the relationship between community and healing for both the individual and society. (scroll to the end for book giveaway details!) A freelance writer and speaker, Liuan focuses on topics of embodiment and spirituality. Her writing, on everything from...

How do we fight racism? Is there reason to hope when history reveals the continuity of racism’s tactics and its multifaceted exploitation? Historian and author Jemar Tisby talks with Amy Julia about racial identity, Black Lives Matter, laboring for racial justice, and reasons to hope for racial healing. Jemar Tisby is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Color of Compromise , and the n...