Have You Ever Met a Secular Professor Who Became a Christian? In this episode of Good Faith, Curtis Chang talks with historian and UNC professor Molly Worthen about her surprising journey from secular skeptic to Christian believer—and what her story reveals about faith, doubt, college, and perceived crises in higher education. They explore why so many Christian students struggle with faith on secular campuses, how parents can help college-bound kids find mentors and community, and how Christian ...
Jun 04, 2026•45 min•Season 1Ep. 235
Are Aliens Demons, Our Cosmic Neighbors, or Something Stranger? Host Curtis Chang and author Andy Crouch explore the theological implications of UFOs, extraterrestrial life, and the possibility that humans are not the only created beings in the cosmos. They ask whether aliens should be understood as material creatures, angels and demons, image bearers, or cosmic neighbors—and what Scripture, Christian theology, and even Aquinas suggest about our human uniqueness. Along the way, they consider whe...
May 28, 2026•57 min•Season 1Ep. 234
Is Mortality the Enemy of a Meaningful Life? Curtis Chang sits down with psychologist Dr. Dan Allender for a searching conversation about aging, mortality, Christian hope, and the surprising freedom of growing older. Together, they explore why getting older is not merely decline, but an invitation to deeper purpose, tenderness, grace, and wisdom—especially in a culture determined to deny death. From caring for aging parents to reimagining retirement, Dan and Curtis offer biblical insight and per...
May 21, 2026•54 min•Season 1Ep. 233
What Is Spiritual Weariness and How Can We Find Renewal? In this episode of The Good Faith Podcast, Curtis Chang chats with Tish Harrison Warren—Anglican priest, former New York Times columnist, and author of What Grows in Weary Lands—about burnout, spiritual weariness, and the exhaustion that escapism and rest alone cannot fix. Tish explains how polarization, digital distraction, consumerism, and isolation can leave us tempted to "flame out" or "numb out." Instead, she invites listeners to "go ...
May 14, 2026•43 min•Season 1Ep. 232
What Is Spiritual Weariness and How Can We Find Renewal? In this episode of The Good Faith Podcast, Curtis Chang chats with Tish Harrison Warren—Anglican priest, former New York Times columnist, and author of What Grows in Weary Lands—about burnout, spiritual weariness, and the exhaustion that escapism and rest alone cannot fix. Tish explains how polarization, digital distraction, consumerism, and isolation can leave us tempted to "flame out" or "numb out." Instead, she invites listeners to "go ...
May 14, 2026•43 min•Season 1Ep. 232
What Can Lead a Weary Soul to the Divine in a Post-Christian World? Malcolm Guite is back for part two of our chat with him, and this time we go from atheism to awe, from the Psalms to the Holy Grail, and from Keats to King Arthur. Malcolm tells the wild story of how poetry cracked open his imagination and shattered his unbelief, leading him into the living presence of God — then shows why Galahad and the Grail might be the ancient, weird, luminous story our burned-out, disenchanted world needs ...
May 11, 2026•30 min
Is Ukraine's Fight Against Tyranny Already America's Failure? New York Times opinion writer and Iraq War veteran David French joins Curtis Chang on the Good Faith podcast to explain why Ukraine may be the world-changing war Americans are ignoring. David argues that Ukraine's resistance to Russia has exposed America's retreat from moral leadership, transformed the global balance of power, and elevated Zelensky as one of the most consequential leaders of our time. From Trump's impact on NATO to Eu...
May 07, 2026•51 min•Season 1Ep. 231
Is There a Hidden Power of Communion in a Hopeless Age? Hannah Miller King joins Curtis Chang on the Good Faith podcast to discuss her book Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness and why communion is more than a symbolic church ritual. Together, they explore the Lord's Supper, Christian hope, embodied worship, and how the table of God forms Christians to resist consumer culture and carry resurrection-shaped love into a hopeless world. They discuss why this embodied practice con...
Apr 30, 2026•38 min•Season 1Ep. 230
Imagination Combined with Reason Can Build a Sturdier Faith. Malcolm Guite invites us to recover a "baptized imagination," showing how poetry can do real theological work by carrying truth through image, beauty, sacrament, and story. Rather than replacing reason, imagination helps us perceive meaning—opening Scripture, creation, and the mystery of Christ in ways analysis alone cannot reach. 00:00 - A Sonnet for Saint Peter 01:16 - Introduction to the Episode 03:32 - Can Poetry Do Theology? 09:02...
Apr 27, 2026•22 min
How Can We Raise Capable Kids Without Rescuing Them? David Thomas, co-executive director of Daystar Counseling and co-author of Capable, joins Curtis Chang for a timely conversation on Christian parenting, kids' mental health, and raising resilient children in an age of anxiety. They explore why today's parenting culture can accidentally make kids less capable—and how faith, courage, and emotional resilience can help families face struggle without fear. If you're raising kids in this world shape...
Apr 23, 2026•43 min•Season 1Ep. 229
How Does the Church Sings Through Suffering and Why Do the Songs Matter? Grammy Award nominee and Dove Award winner Matt Maher joins the Good Faith podcast for a conversation about the power of songs and church music to tell the truth about suffering. Reflecting on protest, justice, prophetic art, ecumenism, and even Rich Mullins, Maher explores how the church can hold lament and praise together while still pointing people to the hope and holiness of God. Drawing on Psalm 22 and Jesus' cry of ab...
Apr 16, 2026•47 min•Season 1Ep. 228
Why Relying on One Bible Teacher Isn't Enough—and What to Do About It In this Good Faith Podcast bonus short, N.T. Wright shares practical, accessible guidance on how to read the Bible with deeper understanding, moving beyond surface-level devotion into the rich world of biblical context, Scripture study, and Christian discipleship. Wright explains why exploring texts like Josephus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha, and the Apostolic Fathers can help modern believers interpret the New Testame...
Apr 13, 2026•13 min
Are Violent Bible Passages Being Used to Justify War? Pete Wehner, former White House official and writer for The Atlantic, joins Curtis Chang to examine how violent Old Testament "holy war" texts are being invoked in today's political and cultural debates, including by Pete Hegseth and voices tied to the Trump administration. Pete and Curtis explore the war in Iran, Bible interpretation, the character of God, and why Christians must read troubling Bible passages through the lens of Jesus and th...
Apr 09, 2026•58 min•Season 1Ep. 227
Is AI Helping Us Flourish or Making Us Less Human? Andy Crouch joins Curtis Chang for a timely conversation on AI, Christianity, human flourishing, and the future of being human. Together they explore whether artificial intelligence will deepen human relationships or replace them, why prediction is not the same as prophecy, and how Christians can pursue embodied community, reconciliation, and faithful living in the age of AI. 04:31 - Technology Adoption and Cultural Change 09:05 - AI's Subtle Pr...
Apr 02, 2026•51 min•Season 1Ep. 226
The Power of Presence: How Connection Transcends Cognitive Loss Show Notes: Good Faith's series of Campfire Stories invites listeners to hear how ordinary people are living out extraordinary faith in complex times. In this episode, In this episode. Jim, a devoted husband and caregiver, shares moving stories about his wife Carolyn's vibrant life and their journey through her frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. Inspired by Curtis and Good Faith guest Professor John Swinton, a theologian and former ...
Mar 30, 2026•7 min
Are Megachurches, Christian Influencers, and Artificial Intelligence Breaking the Church? This week on the Good Faith podcast, Katelyn Beaty joins host Curtis Chang to confront the church's growing addiction to celebrity culture, asking how celebrity pastors, megachurch platforms, and AI are changing the way Christians are formed. Curtis even asks Katelyn to evaluate whether his public persona and the Good Faith platform risk becoming part of the very problem they're critiquing. If faith is beco...
Mar 26, 2026•40 min•Season 1Ep. 225
From Breakthroughs to Budget Cuts: The Rollercoaster of Modern Medical Research What happens when politics wages war on science—and Christians get caught in the blast radius? In this Good Faith Podcast episode, Curtis Chang talks with former NIH director Dr. Francis Collins and BioLogos president Dr. Kristine Torjesen about Collins' forced exit from NIH, the shutdown of a major HIV prevention programs in Africa, and how cuts to vaccines, medical research, and public health are threatening lives ...
Mar 19, 2026•54 min•Season 1Ep. 224
Refusing Despair Amidst Cultural Darkness What does it look like to cheerfully refuse a collapsing culture without giving in to cynicism, fear, or despair? Host Curtis Chang and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson—Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University— dive into Leif Enger's I Cheerfully Refuse, exploring why great novels still matter, how Christians can resist ideations of apocalypse with joy, and what faith-filled fiction reveals about beauty, truth, and survival in dark times. Th...
Mar 16, 2026•22 min
The Intersection of Trump, Iran, and the Moral Limits of War What should Christians think about the U.S. war with Iran, Israel's role in the conflict, and the risk of a wider Middle East war? In this Good Faith Podcast episode, Curtis Chang and New York Times columnist David French unpack the escalating U.S.-Iran war through the lens of Christian theology, just war theory, constitutional checks and balances, and the moral limits of presidential power. They explore whether America's military acti...
Mar 12, 2026•59 min
What Does Radical Acceptance Look Like in Real Life? In this Good Faith Podcast episode, Curtis Chang sits down with Dave Evans (co-founder of the Stanford Life Design Lab) to tear up the "find your purpose" script and explore how design thinking, faith, and radical acceptance can lead to real meaning—especially through grief and uncertainty. Expect sharp insights, honest stories, and practical tools to build a life with more presence, flow, and authenticity starting now. Dave and Curtis dig int...
Mar 05, 2026•56 min•Season 1Ep. 222
Prayers of the People: The Power of Prayer in Difficult Times The Good Faith Podcast host Curtis Chang and producer DT Slouffman guide listeners through a communal time of prayer. Responding to heartfelt prayer requests from newsletter subscribers, they reflect on themes of hope, family reconciliation, and finding peace amid uncertainty. Each request is followed by a moment of silent prayer, inviting listeners to participate. The episode emphasizes surrendering to God's will, the challenges of s...
Mar 02, 2026•24 min
Can Missionaries, Not Politics, Depolarize Climate Change for Christians? Climate change isn't a partisan talking point—it's a discipleship test, and Brian Webb, a seasoned sustainability director and educator, joins Curtis Chang to make the case that climate ignorance hurts both the body of Christ and the world God made for our flourishing. From typhoons overseas to Lyme disease at home, Webb shows how climate change is already hurting real people—and why Christians can't shrug it off. Forget g...
Feb 26, 2026•54 min•Season 1Ep. 221
Vanishing Coastlines, Dying Reefs, and the Future of an Island Nation In this short Good Faith podcast story, Taualo Penivao, General Secretary of the Christian Church of Tuvalu, shares a firsthand witness of how climate change is reshaping daily life, faith, and the difficult questions of land reclamation and climate migration. Hear why Tuvalu is often called "ground zero" for the global climate crisis—and what support is needed to help protect its people, culture, and future. Sign up for the G...
Feb 23, 2026•10 min
Is The Greatest Shift in Christian Theology Going From Heaven to Earth? Heaven isn't the point of the gospel—and N.T. Wright challenges the "accept Jesus and escape earth" narrative of Christianity. Curtis Chang talks with Wright, leading theologian and prolific author, about New Creation and his latest book God's Homecoming: The Forgotten Promise of Future Renewal, asking whether the Bible's promise is the Kingdom of God on earth—or simply going to heaven when you die. They examine the "royal p...
Feb 19, 2026•56 min•Season 1Ep. 220
Disappearing Neighbors, Upended Constitutional Norms, and an Artist's Response to ICE Curtis Chang talks with singer-songwriter and Twin Cities resident Sara Groves about heightened ICE activity in Minneapolis–Saint Paul and why the consequences for families and neighborhoods persist after the headlines fade. Groves challenges claims that "protesters are paid agitators" or that "ICE targets only criminals," naming the emotional and spiritual toll alongside concerns about due process and constitu...
Feb 15, 2026•50 min•Season 1Ep. 219
Can You Really Change Your Brain by Changing Your Thoughts? Neurosurgeon, Iraq War vet, and author Dr. Lee Warren shows Curtis Chang how to perform "self brain surgery"—no scalpel, just the brutal truth: your automatic thoughts are rewiring your brain every day, and a lot of them are lying to you. Curtis and Lee dig into neuroplasticity, why you keep looping the same stress scripts, how gratitude can hijack anxiety, and they connect the dots between brain science and faith as represented in Phil...
Feb 12, 2026•59 min•Season 1Ep. 218
Responding To The Minnesota Surge Leads To A Pastor's Arrest! Curtis Chang sits down with Rev. Mariah Tollgaard for an on-the-ground look at ICE raids and immigration enforcement in Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota. They break down masked agents, rapid detentions, and MSP Airport deportation flights—plus the church-led pushback through mutual aid, constitutional observer trainings, and clergy protests that led to Reverend Tollgaard's arrest. It's a faith-and-civil-rights wake-up call: what neighb...
Feb 10, 2026•42 min•Season 1Ep. 217
How Can Christians Turn Groans into Growth By Responding to Ecological Grief? In this episode of the Good Faith Podcast, host Curtis Chang talks with Dr. Jonathan Moo, a decorated professor of both the New Testament and Environmental Studies, about why Christian creation care belongs at the center of discipleship. Drawing from Romans 8, Colossians 1, and Genesis 1–2, Moo connects biblical hope for new creation with practical action on climate change, stewardship, and loving our neighbors by cari...
Feb 05, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 216
What Can Christians Do and Will It Work? In this episode of the Good Faith Podcast, Curtis Chang and David French name what's happening to American democracy right now: "Dual State America," where life feels normal—until the Trump administration's lawless prerogative power snaps into place. From the Renee Good case to Orwellian spin and rising political violence, they trace how authoritarianism spreads by redefining reality and daring ordinary people not to resist. French's gut-check: stop waiti...
Jan 29, 2026•53 min•Season 1Ep. 215
The Rise of the "Nones" and the Politics Driving People Out of Church In this episode of the Good Faith Podcast, Ryan Burge joins Curtis Chang to explore The Vanishing Church and the decline of moderate American congregations, using hard data and his lived experience as a longtime pastor, political scientist, and statistician. Ryan and Curtis explore how evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics, and the religious "nones" are changing—and what that means for polarization, social cohesion, an...
Jan 22, 2026•56 min•Season 1Ep. 214
