Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership with Ruth Haley Barton

This week Ruth welcomes writer Jonathan Merritt for a conversation on the intersection of our sexuality and spirituality.  Jonathan describes growing up at the center of conservative evangelical culture as a Southern Baptist leader’s son, internalizing damaging stories about homosexuality that produced shame, secrecy, and hiding. He recounts experiences of God’s presence, guidance, and “shattering...

Today’s episode explores sexuality and spirituality as God-ordained realities. Ruth is joined by Rev. Dr. David Hughes and producer Colleen Powell, to discuss church and cultural distortions—repression, purity culture, objectification, and abuse—while affirming sexuality as a “very good” gift meant for joy, love, and generativity, including for singles and those not sexually active. In conversatio...

Ruth welcomes Tiffany Childress Price and her husband, Bobby Price, into a conversation focusing on their experiences with neurodivergence as a physiological reality and place of encounter with God. Tiffany explains neurodivergence and “twice exceptional” (2E) brain differences in her sons, describing asynchronous development and the advocacy burden when children are misunderstood, labeled, exclud...

This week Ruth is joined by TC Alum Jake Partridge for a conversation on mental health. Jake shares his story of three major depressive episodes and ongoing anxiety, describing depression as prolonged, reality-coloring despair, isolation, languishing, and a loud inner critic, and anxiety as obsessive, control-seeking mental overdrive. Together they discuss biopsychosocial-spiritual integration, th...

This week we have a special episode with two people very close to the hearts of our Transforming Community. In our first conversation Ruth welcomes TC alum Christine Boye in a  conversation that was recorded in January of 2025 about illness and mortality as part of the experience of being human. Christine was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in June 2019, discovered she was pregnant the same...

Ruth welcomes Rev. Dr. Prince Rivers to discuss becoming human with God in our bodies through the complicated embodied realities of race and ethnicity in the United States. They reflect on current events in May 2026, including a Supreme Court ruling challenging Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, racial profiling, and immigration fears, and Prince describes the heightened anxiety, hesitation, and...

This week Ruth welcomes Donna McIntosh, a spiritual director and hospital-trained chaplain and TC alum, to speak to the experience of when our body betrays us. Donna describes experiencing a stroke while in seminary and the primary and secondary losses that followed—health, confidence, work, reading tolerance, gait, balance, clapping, speech, and fine motor skills—along with ongoing physical chall...

With longtime friends and ministry colleagues Glenn and Margo Balsis, Ruth introduces a spiritual conversation on grief and loss. Margo and Glenn recount their daughter Kristen’s cystic fibrosis diagnosis, 28-year life, and death, and their journey with God through grief. Glenn describes the pressure to “defend God,” and the loneliness of others trying to fix their pain. Together all three reflect...

Welcome back for our twenty-ninth season of the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast. This season is years in the making. We’ve long wanted to bring a season full of Spirit-directed conversations on the experience of being human, in all its complicated glory, but the timing was never quite right. And now, it’s finally here: Season 29 | Becoming Human: With God in Our Bodies. Our goals...

Here we are on the threshold of another Lenten season! Since the Paschal mystery is the culmination of the Lenten season, we are going to "begin with the end in mind" by exploring this great mystery of our faith and where it might be playing itself out in our own lives.  Relying on Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s description in The Holy Longing, Ruth identifies the five movements of the Paschal mystery and th...

In this final episode of the Advent season Ruth and Marilyn discuss the unique spiritual invitations and soul work of the winter season. They touch on the inward journey of self-examination, processing grief, and embracing the transformation in life's dormancy. They conclude with a deep discussion on themes of letting go, living in the present, and the spiritual significance of endings and new beg...

In this week’s episode, Ruth and Marilyn discuss the themes of winter and vulnerability. They explore the metaphorical storms of winter, praying beyond safety, and infinite longing. The conversation also touches on the challenges posed by climate change, the significance of collective humility, and the importance of grappling with complex, real-world issues within church communities. Marilyn concl...

This week, ​​Ruth and Marilyn discuss the concept of Blue Christmas services that acknowledge grief during the festive season and offer consolation to those experiencing loss. The episode also delves into the idea of dormancy, likening spiritual dormancy to the natural world's winter phase, where growth happens unseen. The conversation highlights the importance of creating space for mourning, ackn...

In this season of the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast, Ruth invites listeners to embark on a unique journey during Advent 2025. Departing from traditional liturgical approaches, we will focus on the overlap between the seasons of Advent and winter, inspired by Marilyn McIntyre's book 'Midwinter Light: Meditations for the Long Season.' Ruth will be joined all through Advent by Mar...

As we wrap up our season on Taming our Technologies: [Spiritual] Practices for a Digital Age, Ruth and Jay delve into the topic of technology’s impact on deep and creative work. They discuss the transformative impact of technology on creativity, productivity, and the ability to perform deep, meaningful work. Jay highlights the distinction between human creativity and artificial intelligence, and R...

In this episode, Ruth and returning guest Jay Kim explore the intersection of technology and community within the church. They discuss the nuances of digital and in-person church experiences, the impact of the pandemic on church attendance and engagement, and the idea that “digital informs and analog transforms.” As always, they end by offering questions to ponder this week as it pertains to techn...

This week, Ruth and Jay are joined by producer Colleen to discuss the challenges and strategies of parenting in the digital age. They discuss what they see as the pressing issues right now, how Jay and Colleen are navigating these pressures in their own families, and what Ruth experiences as a grandparent to young people. They also delve into practical advice for setting boundaries and expectation...

In this episode, Ruth and Jay dive into the impact of digital technology on our attention spans and mental health. They reflect on personal experiences of technology's pervasive influence and discuss the importance of reclaiming attention through spiritual practices. The conversation explores the implications of multitasking and the mental disorders associated with technology use, as well as how t...

This week, Ruth and Jay delve into the challenges and opportunities presented by technology in our spiritual lives. They discuss the necessity of solitude, silence, and retreat for spiritual formation and explore how digital distractions can hinder these practices. Ruth shares her personal journey and insights into managing technology's role in her spiritual practices, while Jay offers practical s...

We’re back for Season 27, titled “Taming our Technologies: [Spiritual] Practices for a Digital Age.” This season we have a special co-host, pastor, author, and podcast host Jay Y. Kim! Jay will be joining Ruth all season long to explore the impact technology is having on our lives with God, our attention span, our parenting, our community, and our creativity. Jay and Ruth will wrestle with their o...

Hey all! We’re popping into your podcast feeds to share a peek at something we’re doing over on Patreon this summer! We’re calling it the Summer Poetry Fest. Each month Ruth shares a poem that has been particularly significant or meaningful to her life. She shares the context and how God used that poem or what it draws out in her. Then, Ruth offers some reflection questions for the listener to hel...

In this special bonus episode Ruth converses with pastor, author, speaker and long time friend, John Ortberg about his new book 'Steps, A Guide to Transforming Your Life When Willpower Isn't Enough.' They explore the intersections between spiritual formation, transformation, and the powerful principles behind the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). John shares his personal journey, insig...

Christ is risen! Happy Easter Monday, friends. Once again, Ruth invites us to celebrate the Risen Jesus through five powerful post-resurrection encounters. These stories have been shared before, yet they continue to speak. As you listen, step into the story—imagine the wonder, the questions, the joy. May they draw you into His presence today.

In the final episode of season 26, we are sharing a poignant discussion with Ruth and  TC team member, Tina Harris. Tina shares her experience of tarrying as a communal and immersive practice deeply rooted in music, openness, and collective healing. Ruth and Tina explore various themes, including the confrontation of disappointment, doubt, disillusionment, and deconstruction within the tarrying pr...

S26 Ep 6 |Desperate for God to Intervene: The Ongoing Tarry In this episode, Ruth engages in a profound conversation with Joy and David Bailey. Together, they delve into the themes from Dr. Selena Stone's book 'Tarry Awhile,' focusing on chapter six about healing. Joy and David share their extensive journey of dealing with Joy's chronic health issues, exploring how it has shaped both their faith a...