The Circle Dwellers Podcast

Why can’t you concentrate anymore? Is social media, smartphones, and digital technology actually changing the way we think? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, we explore the surprising ideas of Marshall McLuhan, media theory, literacy, attention spans, and the transition from a print-based culture to a digital one. We discuss why reading books feels different from scrolling Twitter, h...

Everyone hated my AI art post. Why are conversations about AI art so toxic? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, we unpack a heated online debate sparked by an AI-generated image and explore the deeper questions lurking beneath the internet outrage. Why do discussions about AI art, creativity, artists' rights, technology, and the future of human work become so emotionally charged? A...

What happens when churches become data centers? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, we explore a fascinating and controversial proposal: using church buildings to host AI infrastructure and data centers in order to shape the future of artificial intelligence through institutions with moral and spiritual depth. Drawing on a proposal known as the “Parish Grid,” we discuss AI ethics, the...

In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, we explore the Sorites Paradox — the ancient philosophical question of when a heap becomes a heap — and apply it to one of the most controversial modern topics: AI-generated art and “AI slop.” When does using AI cross the line from a helpful creative tool into soulless content generation? Is using AI for one sentence, one texture, or one leaf in a pa...

If you’ve felt frustrated with shallow “churchianity,” self-help sermons, or a version of Christianity that seems more focused on personal happiness than obedience to God, this conversation is for you. In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, we break down the modern heresy of “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” — the belief that God merely wants us to be nice, feel good about ourselves, and cal...

What happens when a Baptist writer takes on Arthurian legend and medieval chivalry? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell sit down with author A.B. Timothy to discuss his work in Arthurian fantasy, Christian storytelling, and the recovery of myth, virtue, and imagination in modern fiction. Together they explore how the legends of King Arthur, knights, and chivalry stil...

What if the secret to a consistent, meaningful prayer life isn’t trying harder—but praying with the Church? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell introduce the ancient Christian practice of praying the hours —the Daily Office—as a practical way to order your life around God. Drawing from the Psalms, early monastic tradition, and the historic rhythm of morning, noon, an...

Is AI art really stealing from artists—or is the backlash missing the point? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell offer a clear, philosophically grounded Christian perspective on AI-generated art, creativity, copyright, and human soulfulness. They dismantle common arguments against AI art (consent, job loss, environmental harm, “Miyazaki hates it”) and explain why AI...

We are Life Mission Fellowship--a Protestant monastic order completely dedicated to Christ, His work, and His people. This is a podcast dedicated to the ins-and-outs of living the Benedict Option.

Is anxiety slowly destroying your spiritual life—and what if you could stop it before it’s too late? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell break down Dr. William Backus’s powerful “truth therapy” approach to defeating anxiety through biblical thinking, honest self-examination, and life-giving community. Drawing from Telling Yourself the Truth, they explain how anxiety...

What if the cure for modern weakness, loneliness, and nihilism isn’t “progress” but a return to chivalry? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell argue that the medieval chivalric ideal—rooted in courage, virtue, duty, honor, and self-sacrifice—is exactly what today’s men and women need. Drawing from Maurice Keen’s Chivalry, Brad Miner’s The Complete Gentleman, and C.S....

Is eating animals actually a moral good—not just “permissible”? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell dismantle the viral vegan documentary Christpiracy and offer a bold Christian, philosophical, and ecological case for why humans not only may eat animals, but in many cases have a moral duty to do so. Drawing on Roger Scruton’s On Hunting, the arguments of philosopher...

What if UFOs aren’t demons—or aliens—but something far stranger? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell explore the exploding UFO/UAP conversation and ask what Christians should actually make of it. From Victor Davis Hanson’s surprising 50/50 stance, to Diana Walsh Pasulka’s research on UFO religion, to stories like the Varginha Incident and modern UAP sightings, they w...

Is it immature for adults to love fantasy, anime, video games, or tabletop games—or is that a shallow view of maturity? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell respond directly to Matt Walsh’s claim that grown men should abandon “childish” hobbies like Warhammer, Star Wars, or video games and pursue only “serious” adult interests. Drawing from C.S. Lewis’s famous line—“W...

Can revival really be planned—or is it only something God does spontaneously? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell of Life Mission Fellowship unpack Lecture 3 of Charles Finney’s classic Lectures on Revival of Religion to reveal the practical, biblical steps that ignite genuine renewal. Drawing on Hosea 10:12 (“Break up your fallow ground”), they explain how revival b...

Is America actually experiencing a Christian revival—or just a spiritual awakening? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell of Life Mission Fellowship unpack the difference between a true revival and a cultural stirring of religious interest. Responding to the post–Charlie Kirk movement and the surge in Bible sales, church attendance, and online conversions, they draw on...

Did Christianity really shape everything we believe about morality, justice, and human rights? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell review historian Tom Holland’s landmark book Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. They unpack Holland’s central claim—that every modern Western value, from equality and compassion to human rights and the separation of...

What happens when Christians actually try to live together in real community? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers Podcast, Matt and Tim Krell—Protestant monks from Life Mission Fellowship—react to an article from Plough Quarterly titled “An Experiment in Common Living” by Jeffrey Wald. Wald describes starting a small intentional Christian community in North Carolina, and the Krell brothers disc...

Why do Calvinists get so upset with open theists, Arminians, and those who emphasize God’s love as Father instead of only as Judge? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers Podcast, Matt and Tim Krell—Protestant monks with Life Mission Fellowship—explain why they are not Calvinists and why relational theology offers a more biblical and beautiful picture of God. They discuss moral government theology...

Is artificial intelligence really conscious—or are we projecting too much onto a glorified parrot? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell—Christian monks, programmers, and leaders in Life Mission Fellowship—cut through the hype and fear surrounding AI. Drawing on a lecture by Spencer Klavan, they explain why large language models are not reasoning beings but tools that...

Why do so many modern churches feel bland, sterile, or even ugly—and why does that matter for the Gospel? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell argue that beauty in worship is not a luxury but a necessity. Drawing from history, theology, and their own Protestant monastic practice, they explain why sacred spaces must reflect God’s glory through beauty, art, and symbolis...

Why did God accept Abel’s sacrifice but reject Cain’s—and what does this story really teach us about faith, creativity, and obedience? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell dive deep into the story of Cain and Abel through the lens of Jewish philosopher Yoram Hazony’s The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture. Far from a simple tale about murder, this account reveals God’s de...

Can technology really solve humanity’s deepest problems—or is it quietly shaping our worldview in dangerous ways? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell—Christian monks, programmers, and leaders in Life Mission Fellowship—explore the blessings and dangers of modern technology from a biblical perspective. Drawing on insights from Jonathan Pageau, reflections on media add...

Is church membership outdated—or is it the very heart of the Gospel? In this thought-provoking episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell unpack why real Christian membership is not about joining an organization, but about entering into covenant relationships that reflect the love of the Trinity itself. From cultural objections about “exclusivity” to the biblical vision of Israel a...

Why does Shakespeare still matter today—and why should Christians care? In this episode of the Circle Dwellers podcast, Matt and Tim Krell explore the surprising depth, wit, and spiritual value of William Shakespeare’s plays. Far from being outdated, Shakespeare shaped the moral imagination of the West, influenced America’s founders, and continues to illuminate modern questions about politics, fai...