The Overthinkers

Latest Episodes:

Why Does Beauty Matter? (With Andrew Klavan) May 12, 2025

Show notes

What is beauty? Does it matter? If so, why? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with bestselling author and podcaster Andew Klavan.
Further reading

Beauty definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beauty

Philosophers on beauty: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauty/

Modern people on beauty: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/07/opinion/andre-aciman-why-is-beauty-important.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/well/live/awe-wonder-dacher-keltner.html

Blesses
Christ at the Column (Painting)
Fahrenheit 451 (Book)
Ecclesiastes (Book in The Bible)
Mount Lincoln (Nature)
Come Sweet Death (Music)

Conclave (Movie)
Keelia Clarkson (Nathan’s wife)
Wildcat (Movie)
Ode on a Greecian Urn (Poem)
Ode to the West Wind (Poem)

Curses
Black Painints by Goya (Paintings)
Dead Poets Society (Movie)
Anything that is untrue

Websites
Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josepholmesstudios.com
Andrew Klavan: andrewklavan.com

How Do We Overcome Shame? (With Aimee Byrd) May 05, 2025

Show notes

What is shame? And how do we overcome it? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with celebrated author Aimee Byrd her book "Saving Face" about her own journey of shame and healing.
Further reading:

Shame definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shame

Shame vs guilt: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/shame#:~:text=Shame%20can%20breed%20feelings%20of,can%20erode%20trust%20over%20time.

Is shame bad? https://brenebrown.com/articles/2013/01/15/shame-v-guilt/

Is shame good? https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/4/18/18308346/shame-toxic-productive

Overcoming shame: https://www.gottman.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-shame/#:~:text=Instead%20of%20%E2%80%9Cbeing%20shame%2C%E2%80%9D,vulnerable%20stories%20in%20safe%20environments.
Blesses

The Soul of Shame (Book)
Godzilla Minus One (Movie)

The Mule (Movie)
Adolescence (TV Show)
TIll We Have Faces (Book)
Curses

White Lotus Season 3 (TV Show)
All Fours (Book)
Cabrini (Movie)
Yellowstone (TV Show)

Websites:
The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josepholmesstudios.com
Aimee Byrd: https://aimeebyrd.com/

Is Religion in Decline? (With Ryan Burge) Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

Is religion in decline or are we headed for a revival? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with America's leading political scientist Ryan Burge.

Further resources
Karl Marx thought religion would disappear: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/jun/29/marx-religion-philosophy-opium

Durkheim thought religion would decline/disappear: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0037768614560959?icid=int.sj-abstract.citing-articles.15#:~:text=While%20Durkheim%20held%2C%20as%20did,Pickering%2C%201984:%20445).

Declining religion around the world: https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSNewsShow.jsp?ID=433#:~:text=From%202007%20to%202020%2C%20an,place%20among%20the%20American%20public.
https://www.axios.com/2023/10/06/organized-religion-decline-agnostic-atheist-nonreligious

Religious populations having the most kids:https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/12/21/key-findings-from-the-global-religious-futures-project/

Religious in America have the most kids: https://ifstudies.org/blog/americas-growing-religious-secular-fertility-divide

Rise of “Nones” appears to have halted: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/us/christianity-us-religious-study-pew.html

Blesses
The Pitt (TV Show)
Small ChurchesThe American Religious Landscape (Book)Hacksaw Ridge (Movie)
Curses

The White Lotus (TV Show)The Righteous Gemstones (TV Show)God’s Not Dead (Movie)The Front Room (Movie)

Websites
The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comRyan Burge: graphsaboutreligion.com

Why am I a Christian? (With Nathan Sherrer) Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

Why do people beome (and stay) Christians or any religion whatsoever? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson welcome Nathan Sherrer on the show to discuss their testimonies and what they think that says about faith and belief in the world.

Links to more resources:

Reasons why people believe in God
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pursuit-peace/201712/the-psychology-religion

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/201808/why-do-people-believe-in-god

Intellectuals returning to faith:

https://www.thefp.com/p/how-intellectuals-found-god-ayaan-hirsi-ali-peter-thiel-jordan-peterson

Blesses
The World Ends with You (Video Game)

Mob Psycho 100 (Anime)

All Fired Up (Song)

Evidence for Chrisitanity (Book)

Mere Christianity (Book)

Blue Like Jazz (Book)

On Guard (Book)

Curses

Facing the Giants (Movie)

The Eternals (Movie)

Law of Attraction (Book)

The God Delusion (Book)
Website
The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

What's The Devil Really Like? (With Jared Brock) Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

What's The Devil really like according to the original Biblical writers who talked about him? We discuss with writer and filmmaker Jared Brock, author of the new book, "A Devil Called Lucifer".
Definitions of The Devil:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Satan

https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-the-devil

Christiian views of The Devil: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/satan-and-demons/

Blesses

Dardevil (TV Show)

Alan Wake 2 (Video Game)

The Screwtape Letters (Book)

Paradise Lost (Book)

Hellboy: The Crooked Man

Michael Hudson (Economist)

Friday Night Lights (TV Show)

Curse

The Devil’s Advocate (Movie)

Hazbin Hotel (TV Show)

Woe
Anyone who makes money from lending (Usery)
Websites
Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josepholmesstuidos.com
Jared Brock: jaredbrock.com

Is Jesus More Than a Historical Figure? (With John Eldredge) Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Everyone loves Jesus. But who was Jesus? Was he just a historical figure, or was he someone you can have a relationship with today? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with beloved author John Eldredge

Americans positive view of Jesus: https://www.barna.com/research/openness-to-jesus/

Americans belief in Jesus divinity: https://www.barna.com/research/what-do-americans-believe-about-jesus-5-popular-beliefs/

Bart Ehrman on Jesus: https://ehrmanblog.org/who-was-jesus/

Personal relationship with Jesus not in Bible: https://theologyintheraw.com/is-having-a-personal-relationship-with-jesus-a-biblical-concept/#:~:text=If%20by%20%E2%80%9Cpersonal%E2%80%9D%20you%20mean,%3B%20it's%20communal%2C%20not%20individualistic.

Blesses

The Miracle Maker (Movie)

The Jesus I Never Knew (Book)

The Chosen (TV Show)

Curses

Bad Atheist Arguments (Internet)

Magdelene (Movie)

Websites
The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.com

Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

How Do You Hear The Holy Spirit? (With Tyler Staton) Mar 30, 2025

Show notes

The Holy Spirit is a really important part of Christian theology. But he's also the least understood. What's the traditional Christian understanding of the Holy Spirit? And why does that matter? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson invite author and pastor Tyler Staton to discuss.
Link to more resources:

Catholic/Orthodox Split: https://www.britannica.com/event/East-West-Schism-1054
Argument for continuationism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNuEImlg3yU&t=2764s&ab_channel=GavinOrtlund

Argument for cessasionism: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/cessationist/
Blesses
Disappointment with God (Book)
Believe Me (Movie)
Curses
Holy Ghost (Movie)
Noah (Movie)
Websites
The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com
Tyler Staton: https://www.tylerstaton.com/about

Should We Fight Culture Wars? Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

Culture wars seem to dominate life today. Should we participate in them, or abandon them? If we should engage with them, how and why? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss.
Links to resources

Definition of culture war: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/culture-war

James Davison Hunter on the culture war:

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/08/09/culture-wars-james-davison-hunter-politics

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/20/culture-war-politics-2021-democracy-analysis-489900

Blesses

Trial and Death of Socrates (Book)

The Other Two (TV Show)

Eye in the Sky (Movie)

Curses

The act of announcing to the world you’re taking a break for social media for lent

Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Websites
The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josepholmesstudios.com

How Do Movies and TV Change Us? (With Walter Hickey) Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson talk with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Walter Hickey about what the research says on how the media we consume really does--and does not--affect us and our lives.

Time people spend with TV/Media: https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2023/tops-of-2023-tv/

Sesame Street improves education outcomes: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/06/sesame-street-preschool-education/396056/

History of the Hayes Code: https://www.britannica.com/art/Hays-Code
Blesses
Bednobs and Broomsticks (Movie)
Spider-Man 2 (Movie)

You Are What You Watch (Book)
Through a Screen Darkly (Book)
The Truman Show (Movie)
FLow (Movie)
Curses
Heart Eyes (Movie)

La La Land (Movie)
The Show Recommended by the Algorithm

Websites
The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com
Walter Hickey: https://walthickey.com/

What Makes a Great Hero? Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

We all love heroes. But not all heroes are created equal. What makes a hero that can stand the test of time and also make us better? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes discuss.
Resource Links

Hero definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero

Different cultural ideas of heroes: https://www.cam.ac.uk/system/files/heroes_teacher_resources_.pdf

Why Vince Gilligan thinks we need more heroes: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/breaking-bad-creator-vince-gilligan-good-guys-walter-white-1236309604/

Blesses

Gotham Knights

Daredevil

The Incredibles

Chronicles of Narnia

Superman for All Seasons

Dune: Part Two

Curses

Captain America: Brave New World