Faith Improvised

Latest Episodes:

The Challenges of Our Intellectual Journeys Nov 07, 2023

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In this episode, Steve and I reflect on our personal transformations over the last 25 years, and the emotional, relational, and intellectual dynamics involved in those.

The Place of Pain and Suffering in the Pursuit of Happiness and Wholeness Oct 31, 2023

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In this episode, Steve and I talk about how painful situations can be catalysts for growth, and under what conditions that can happen.

The Quest for Certainty in an Uncertain World Oct 24, 2023

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In this episode, Steve and I talk about certainty and uncertainty, reflecting on Mark C. Taylor's comment, in his book, After God, that "Certainty is the symptom of death; uncertainty, the pulse of life."

Tragic Violence in the Middle East & The Importance of Memory Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

In our conversation, Steve and I mention a few books: Mark Tessler, A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Elias Chacour, Blood Brothers: The Dramatic Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel; Sandy Tolan, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East; Ari Shavit, My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel; Anne Applebaum, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism. I also mentioned the documentary film, "With God on Our Side."

The Origins and Expressions of Individualism in American Protestantism Oct 10, 2023

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Steve and I talk about why and how American Protestantism--especially white evangelicalism--is so individualistic. We mentioned a few books: Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations; Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America; Ijeoma Oluo, Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America.

Conspiracies, Intellectual Humility, and Arrogance Oct 03, 2023

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In this episode, Steve and I talk about some articles we've read recently on conspiracy theories, and relate those to intellectual humility and arrogance. We also mention the following books and articles: "Google Isn't Grad School," by Arthur Brooks, from The Atlantic, July 2023; "What Conspiracy Theorists Don't Believe," by Tim Harford, from The Atlantic, July 2023; The Death of Expertise, by Tom Nichols; Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman; The Origins of Creativity, by Edward O. Wilson.

True Grit: Navigating a Cold, Indifferent Universe Sep 26, 2023

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In this episode, Steve and I discuss the novel and the film adaptations of "True Grit"--their similarities and differences, and how the Coen version fits their vision of life in a cold, indifferent universe. We mention this article about the film by Stanley Fish, and the book by Adam Nayman, The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together.

Pursuing Happiness, Wholeness, and Healing, Pt. 2 Sep 19, 2023

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In this episode, Steve and I continue talking about happiness, with some references to the Book of Job and A Serious Man.

Pursuing Happiness, Wholeness, and Healing: Introducing Season 5 Sep 12, 2023

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In this episode, I begin a series of conversations with my best friend, Steve Watkins, about pursuing happiness, wholeness, and healing. We mentioned a few books in this episode: Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Harper, 2015), and Pema Chödrön, Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion (Shambhala, 2018). We also mentioned the beautiful TED Talk by Anne Lamott, called "12 Truths I Learned from Life and Writing."

Evangelism Is Not the Task of the Church Aug 29, 2023

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In this episode I talk about how I came to the view that evangelism is not the task of the church.

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