In a previously recorded (but never released) episode, David and Curtis tackle the particularly vexing challenge of justice when crimes are committed. For those who do not engage regularly with the criminal justice system, these questions can feel distant, or even irrelevant. But as we are reminded, God's repeated calls for justice throughout the scriptures don't give the Christian such an easy out. Show Notes: -Sign up for David's French Press newsletter -Follow Curtis' work at RedeemingBabel.o...
Sep 10, 2022•49 min•Ep. 43
This week David and Curtis dive into the issue of time and how our understanding of time horizons can profoundly impact our perspective on the world, whether it is getting worse or better, and what actions that should lead us to take. As Christians who believe in eternity, we should be good at "playing the long game," but we often let ourselves get caught up in the issues of the moment, and let our compressed time horizons lead us to fear or despair, rather than hope. Show Notes: - Factfulness: ...
Sep 03, 2022•59 min•Ep. 42
This week David and Curtis are joined by Meghan Sullivan, philosopher, teacher, and creator of the most popular class at the University of Notre Dame, "God and the Good Life." As many of us send our kids off to college (or head off to college ourselves), Meghan helps us appreciate the role of education–and of philosophy in particular–in helping students take on the big questions of life. Show Notes: - The Good Life Method by Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko - God and the Good Life (Notre Dame c...
Aug 27, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 41
This week David and Curtis are joined by Karen Swallow Prior, writer, thinker, and research professor of English and Christianity and culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Karen talks to us about the current state of affairs in social media, particularly Twitter, and compares its impact on culture and the church to another critical technology, the printing press. She discusses how these modern technologies are impacting our brains, and how we can push back against this through th...
Aug 20, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 40
It's been an eventful week, and for many a deeply troubling one. But of course, no matter what end of the political spectrum you come from, weeks like this seem increasingly common. The hits just keep on coming, as do the feelings of loss and fear. So how are we as Christians to navigate such deeply troubled times? This week, David and Curtis dive into this question with some interesting thoughts from Rudyard Kipling, and some even more important (and eternal) wisdom from the Psalms. Show Notes:...
Aug 13, 2022•58 min•Ep. 39
This week David's theological wingman Curtis returns from his July sabbatical. He's rested and raring to go, but rather than dive into another hot political or cultural issue, Curtis actually has some remarkable insights to share about the nature of sabbath rest and the spiritual discipline of letting go, stepping away from our illusions of ultimate control and placing all our striving in God's hands. In the second half of this episode Curtis also shares some important thoughts about the nature ...
Aug 06, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 38
While Curtis is still on sabbatical, David talks to Justin Giboney, co-founder of the AND Campaign, about racial justice, political tribalism, and the "God gap" in the Democratic Party. They discuss the problems with left and right as they grapple with extremism, and they talk about Justin's experiences talking about hot-button topics from a politically heterodox (but theologically orthodox) point of view. Show Notes: - Good Faith Debates: How Should the Church Address Racial Injustice? - AND Ca...
Jul 30, 2022•58 min•Ep. 37
David talks to Georgetown professor and Bush administration alum Paul Miller about Paul's new book, "The Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong With Christian Nationalism." Paul defines Christian nationalism, discusses what's wrong with it theologically, what's wrong with it politically, and how it invariably leads to conflict and illiberalism. They also discuss Christian underrepresentation in the academy and other elite spaces, including its causes and consequences. Show Notes: - "The Re...
Jul 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 36
David talks to Scott Sauls, an author and pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. They talk about handling the exhaustion of the current moment, whether winsomeness "works," and the challenges facing pastors in the face of relentless criticism. They also address Scott's prescient warnings about the dangers of culture war obsessions--warnings that date well before the present extreme polarization. Show Notes: - "Beautiful People Don't Just Happen" by Scott Sauls - "Jesus Out...
Jul 16, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 35
This week Eboo Patel, a Muslim pioneer in interfaith work, joins David and Curtis to discuss his book, We Need to Build . They discuss the need to allow people of different faiths to be able to bring their whole selves, including real and significant religious disagreements, to these conversations. Eboo also helps us understand why it is so important to do more than criticize what we don't like in the culture, but instead to adopt the more mature approach of actually building what we want to see...
Jul 09, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 34
Dobbs ; January 6 hearings; war in Ukraine; mass shootings. We are being overwhelmed on a weekly basis by a relentlessly heavy news cycle. In this week's episode David and Curtis give us a break from all this to talk with us about anxiety , despair and weariness . Wait . . . what?! Yes that's right, this is the Good Faith version of "lighter" fare! It's actually a very uplifting conversation and you may even walk away with some helpful ways to navigate the overwhelming feelings all of us are exp...
Jul 02, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 33
In part one of this two part podcast, Curtis and David respond to the breaking news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Rather than dive into the legal or political dimensions of the ruling, they take a look at the social and spiritual dimensions, asking questions like: What does this actually mean for abortion in America? What are the opportunities and fears now in play? How should a pro-life Christian respond to pro-choice friends and family members? How should a pro-choice Chri...
Jun 24, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 32
Some folks are fascinated by the unfolding narrative of the January 6 hearings, but many are simply tuning out, feeling it is just more politics. This week David and Curtis help us think through why we should be paying attention to these hearings. They explore some of the underlying stories around the key players involved and how those stories not only impact how we think of these people, but perhaps even how we think of ourselves. Show Notes: - Megan N. Fontenot - Exploring the People of Middle...
Jun 18, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 31
Joining David and Curtis this week is Russell Moore, the director of Christianity Today's Public Theology Project. With the Southern Baptist Convention taking place next week in the immediate aftermath of a 3rd party report on sexual abuse and institutional coverup, Russell helps us unpack some of what went wrong in his former denomination. He also offers helpful guidance on how church leaders and all followers of Christ should be responding to such situations (hint: it's not to ignore it or cov...
Jun 11, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 30
This week David and Curtis tackle the tough subject of gun violence. They look at the various tensions between gun rights and gun control and the hyper-polarized responses we are apt to have on one side or the other. They also help us take a step back to think through the "how" of approaching such a complex issue versus just the "what" of our preferred policy outcome. Show Notes: - Rand Corporation - Gun Policy in America - Rand Corporation - How Gun Policies Affect Mass Shootings - Malcolm Glad...
Jun 04, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 29
Joining David and Curtis this week is special guest Nancy French. In a departure from her normal work as a best selling author, Nancy has spent the last 2 years investigating cases of sexual abuse and institutional coverup at one of the nations largest Christian summer camps, Kanakuk Kamps in Branson, Missouri. Going beyond mere reporting on what happened, our hosts help frame the sad situation at Kanakuk in the broader context of the calling we all have to first tell the truth about the institu...
May 28, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 28
In this special episode of the Good Faith podcast we pause to reflect on the tragic shooting in Buffalo and explore its underlying racial motivations, so-called "white replacement theory." Joining David and Curtis (and producer Kris) is our special guest Chuck Mingo, pastor and founder of Living Undivided. Chuck helps us unpack some of the history behind this insidious "theory" and why its scarcity mindset is in direct contradiction to the abundance of God revealed in the Bible. The discussion a...
May 21, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 27
It is increasingly obvious that teenagers across the country are experiencing a spike in anxiety, often with serious and debilitating consequences. This week David and Curtis speak to one of the foremost experts on the subject, Kara Powell, executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute. Kara's well-researched and empathetic insights are critical for all of us to help the teens in our lives navigate these challenging times. Show Notes: - Faith in an Anxious World: A 4-week High School Curricul...
May 14, 2022•59 min•Ep. 26
What does the surprise leak of Justice Alito's opinion in the highly anticipated case Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization reveal about the intellectual integrity of his legal argument? What does it perhaps reveal about the integrity of the institution of the Supreme Court itself? In the midst of all the controversy and preliminary conclusions, David and Curtis try to help us think through this complex cultural moment through the lens of integrity. Show Notes: - Caitlin Flanagan: "The D...
May 07, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 25
In this week's episode David and Curtis explore the concept of the "partisan mind"; what it is, where it comes from, and why it is in conflict with the "mind of Christ". They look at the social science behind partisan polarization and offer some practical tips on how we can tell when we are (and how we can avoid) falling into the snare of the partisan mind. Show Notes: - Nichole Argo Ben Itzhak (Over Zero) - The Science of Polarization and Insights for Bridge-building - Barna: Pastors Share Top ...
Apr 30, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 24
How is it possible that the people who have harnessed technological progress to become the wealthiest nation in history are still so remarkably unhappy? Is it possible that we have asked technology to do too much? Is it perhaps impacting our ability to be fully formed humans? Join this fascinating conversation with David, Curtis, and Curtis' old roommate Andy Crouch, who guides us in thinking about our relationship with technology and how to be more human. Show Notes: - Andy Crouch - The Life We...
Apr 23, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 23
Liberal democracy is under military threat abroad, and intellectual threat in America. And many of these domestic attacks are coming from within Christianity. So should Christians care about defending democracy? What are the connections between our Christian faith and America's form of self-government? This week David and Curtis dive headlong into this deep and fascinating issue, including some history, some theology, and some critical guidance for why we Christians must indeed care about the st...
Apr 16, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 22
This week David and Curtis offer a follow up discussion on fundamentalism, clarifying some key points from the previous episode and diving deeper into how we can become fundamentalists without even knowing it! Do our increasingly homogenous social groups perhaps push us toward fundamentalism and even radicalization? How might the presence of even a few diverse voices impact these groups? This then leads to a discussion about liberal democracy and how it is under assault, not just globally (as in...
Apr 09, 2022•48 min•Ep. 21
In a continuation of our "What the Heck is . . .?" series, David and Curtis help us think about the concept of fundamentalism and how it fits into the current cultural moment. Is fundamentalism just a set of beliefs? Is it a way of approaching belief? Does it perhaps even extend beyond traditional religious belief to certain political beliefs? And where do uncertainty and humility fit into all of this? Join us as we unpack how fundamentalism functions both within the church and in the wider cult...
Apr 02, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 20
This week David and Curtis start with confession time, each looking closely at the challenges of contrarianism and pride that impact all of us in our modern discourse. They unpack the tricky balance between knowing, certainty, and humility, including the possibility that we might be wrong . In the second half, they dive into the spiritual challenge of staying attentive to the war in Ukraine without just watching it as a form of perverse entertainment. In another tricky balance, our hosts offer s...
Mar 26, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 19
Joining David and Curtis this week are two of the most influential voices speaking to Christian faith in the public square, David Brooks and Peter Wehner. Both Peter and David recently wrote landmark pieces analyzing the current landscape of American evangelicalism. In this podcast, they discuss the signs of hope and restoration for the troubled movement. Also, in a bit of self-revelation, they share about the books that most influenced their own faith journeys. Show Notes: - Peter Wehner: "The ...
Mar 19, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 18
David and Curtis are honored this week to share the microphone with Jonathan Tjarks, famed NBA beat writer and podcaster for The Ringer. Jonathan's recent piece "Does My Son Know You?" was a rare moment of candid sharing and distilled wisdom in light of his recent cancer diagnosis. This is truly a must listen as Jonathan shares a poignant perspective on faith, family and the power of community. Be sure to stay tuned to the end where he also breaks down a potential Grizzlies-Warriors matchup in t...
Mar 13, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 17
This week David and Curtis help us look at leadership and what it is about certain leaders that seems to resonate so deep in our souls. Why does President Zelensky's stand in Kyiv inspire us? Is it possible that a man who claims no Christian identity can be bearing the image of God? How do we recognize these images while not falling for the temptation of idolatry and worship of leaders as false images? Join us for this fascinating and timely discussion of the spiritual power of leadership. Show ...
Mar 05, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 16
David and Curtis talk to Tish Harrison Warren, an author, Anglican priest, and writer for The New York Times . Their conversation about prayer gets very real, as they first talk about prayer in wartime. Then they move back to the American cultural struggles, and discuss the disturbing tendency to compare peace to war and the toxic effect on our lives and hearts. Show Notes: - Sign up for Tish Harrison Warren's newsletter - And David's French Press...
Feb 26, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 15
On today's podcast, David and Curtis tackle Christian nationalism. What is it? Is it an ideology? A theology? An emotional, visceral connection? Or some combination of all three? Then they talk about healthy patriotism and how to love your national home, warts and all. Show Notes: - Thomas Kidd: "Christian Nationalism vs. Christian Patriotism" - Deseret News : "What the latest data tells us about Christian nationalism" - French Press: "Discerning the Difference Between Christian Nationalism and ...
Feb 19, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 14
