Bonus: Exploring Turkey on BYUtv
Steve and Heather chat about their upcoming TV documentary on BYUtv. Get the app or find the channel on ROKU.
Mar 08, 2024•8 min
In Good Faith
Discover how God is working in the world and in our lives. Strengthen community by connecting with people of different faith traditions. Celebrate commonality and honor difference as believers share the wisdom and sacred stories, faith journeys, and life experiences that connect them to the Divine.
Host Steven Kapp Perry talks with believers from all walks of faith—Catholic and Episcopalian, Buddhist and Baptist, Jewish and Hindu, Presbyterian and Seventh Day Adventist, Muslim and Latter-day Saint— sharing their personal experience with the sacred and the divine. Sundays on BYUradio—and be sure to subscribe to the podcast!
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Episodes
Ep. 189: Rabbi Dr. Shaul Praver. What role does faith play in coping after acts of violence?
Today, Steve talks with Rabbi Dr. Shaul Praver, a first responder at the tragic Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. Praver was a leader in helping to heal the community in the aftermath. For his community work he has earned the Samaritan Medal of Peace and Humanitarian Accomplishments and was named one of the 50 most influential American Rabbis by Newsweek magazine, both in 2013. We are not going into graphic detail, but be advised, as there are discussions of child...
Mar 06, 2024•30 min•Season 2024Ep. 189
Ep. 188: Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan M. Shaw. How do you find God after abuse?
This week, we hear from Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Dr. Susan M. Shaw. They speak with senior producer Heather Bigley about their book, "Surviving God: A New Vision Through the Eyes of Sexual Abuse Survivors." While the interview is not graphic in any way, be aware that we're discussing a difficult topic. Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and author, coauthor, or editor of numerous books, most recently Spirit Life; Invisible; and Intersectional ...
Mar 03, 2024•29 min•Season 2024Ep. 188
Ep. 187: James Goldberg. How does our heritage influence our faith?
Steve chats with James Goldberg about his religious heritage and offering charity to those who came before us, as people working to build and experiment in the art of religion. James Goldberg is an American historian, playwright, poet, and writer. He has Jewish, European, and Punjabi ancestors; his grandfather, Gurcharan Singh Gill, was the first Sikh to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). James is a contributor to the Saints history project with the Church of Jesu...
Feb 28, 2024•28 min•Season 2024Ep. 187
Ep. 186: Oren Jay Sofer. Why meditation at a time like this?
Steve sits down with Oren Jay Sofer and chats about how meditation is needed in tumultuous times, how to develop inner strength, and how the play of small children is an important skill we all should retain. Oren Jay Sofer teaches Buddhist meditation, mindfulness, and communication internationally. He holds a degree in comparative religion from Columbia University and is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Born and ra...
Feb 25, 2024•30 min•Season 2024Ep. 186
Ep. 185: Leah Marett. Why attend BYU as a Protestant Christian?
We first spoke with Leah Marett in a bonus episode with students at BYU involved in interfaith work. We loved her story, so we invited her back for a full episode! Leah Marett is the host of the The Non-Member Project podcast, drawing from her experiences as a Protestant Christian student at Brigham Young University. Currently, she is earning her Master’s degree in Athletic Training.
Feb 21, 2024•28 min•Season 2024Ep. 185
Ep. 184: Yasminah Respes Huberman. How can education uphold religious tradition?
Steve speaks with Yasminah Respes Huberman about her family's Jewish heritage, her own experience moving to Israel, and the importance of education. Yasminah Huberman is the host of The Jewish Education Experience Podcast, and the founder of Lamed Learning Center which provides learning opportunities for families. She is originally from Southern NJ where she grew up attending Hebrew School and the Adat Beyt Moshe, the synagogue founded by her grandfather, Rabbi Abel Respes. Currently, she homesc...
Feb 18, 2024•27 min•Season 2024Ep. 184
Ep. 183: Gray Cox. How does AI impact religion?
Steven Kapp Perry speaks with Gray Cox about the new age of AI and its influence on religious life. Artificial Intelligence has made its way into nearly every conversation over the last few months. We're wondering, What does this mean for religious practice? Dr. Cox discusses how we train AI matters and reflects our own spiritual concerns. Gray Cox is the author of “Smarter Planet or Wiser Earth?”, a book about dialogue and collaboration in this new age of AI. He teaches courses in philosophy, p...
Feb 14, 2024•24 min•Season 2024Ep. 183
Ep. 182: Alejandra Oliva. How do politics and religion intersect?
This week, we hear from Alejandra Oliva, author of 'Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith and Migration'. She discusses the difference between being interested in an issue, and being involved in the issue. Her conversation with senior producer Heather Bigley covers the spiritual needs at the border. Alejandra Oliva is an essayist, translator, immigrant justice advocate, and embroiderer. Currently she teaches for NYU’s School of Professional Studies. She is a recipient of a 2022 Whiting Crea...
Feb 11, 2024•29 min•Season 2024Ep. 182
Ep. 181: Wendy Goldberg and Rabbi Joe Charnes. Is connecting with other religions important in Judaism?
This week on In Good Faith, Steve speaks with Wendy Goldberg in the first half of the episode and Rabbi Joe Charnes in the second half. Both our guests are passionate in interfaith bridge building, and we were excited to hear what they are accomplishing in their communities. Wendy Goldberg is the executive director of the Tri-Faith Initiative, an interfaith organization that houses a mosque, synagogue, church, and interfaith center all on one campus in Omaha, Nebraska. She helped found the initi...
Feb 04, 2024•54 min•Season 2024Ep. 181
Ep. 180: IGF Book Club - The Bhagavad Gita with Ravi Gupta
Our first IGF Book Club of 2024! In this episode, we're reading the Bhagavad Gita, as translated by Laurie Patton. We actually interviewed Laurie on this show in 2020, so if you want to hear her voice, check out episode 77. Professor Ravi Gupta leads host Steven Kapp Perry through a discussion of the Hindu holy scripture; they're joined in studio by producers Heather Bigley, Lia King, and Ashton Rowan. Ravi M. Gupta, PhD, holds the Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies and serves as Professor ...
Jan 28, 2024•54 min•Season 2024Ep. 180
Ep. 179: Trauma and Healing with Inouye and Peters
This week on In Good Faith, host Steve is joined by Melissa Inouye and David Peters. Both guests discuss the idea of Sacred Struggles: trying times with a higher emphasis and draw to God. They also both draw parallels between the Christian Crucifixion and their own lives. Inouye and Peters are both published authors on the topic and we loved speaking to and learning from them. Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye is a scholar of modern Chinese history and religion and works as a historian at the Church Hist...
Jan 21, 2024•54 min•Season 2024Ep. 179
Ep. 178: Quilts, Comfort, and Activism
This episode is a culmination of comfort and activism. Quilts are usually a symbol of tranquility and peace, but this week we hear from a group that utilized quilts to advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. First, we follow up with a group we met at the Parliament of the World's Religions: The Sacred Ally Quilt Ministry. We speak with Rev. Mark Koyama, Kathy Barrett Blair, and Dr. Harriet Ward. Rev. Mark Koyama grew up in South East Asia and New Zealand before coming to live in the United...
Jan 14, 2024•55 min•Season 2024Ep. 178
Ep. 177: Hello Saints! & Russell Moore
Welcome to the first IGF episode of 2024! We are speaking with Pastor Jeff McCullough and Russell Moore. Jeff McCullough is the host and producer of the YouTube Channel Hello Saints, which records his journey as an evangelical pastor to learn about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Recently, Jeff and his wife Joy relocated to Utah. Jeff graduated from the private free-Methodist college Greenville University with a degree in audio and video production. Russell Moore is Editor-in-Ch...
Jan 07, 2024•55 min•Season 2024Ep. 177
Ep. 176: 2023 Year In Review
Happy New Year! Join host Steven Kapp Perry and producers Heather Bigley, Lia King, Katarina Martinic, and Ashton Rowan in recounting 2023. They will each discuss some of their favorite interviews from the year, sharing a short soundbite from each. We are so grateful for every opportunity we have had in 2023, so thank you for following along. Stay tuned to see what we have in store for 2024—should be a great year!
Dec 31, 2023•55 min•Season 2023Ep. 176
Ep. 175: An Acoustic Christmas
Think of it as a family Christmas devotional: a little praise, a little witness, some tears, and some laughter, familiar, yet loose around the edges. We'll hear from Cherie Call, Paul Jacobsen, and Molly in the Mineshaft, as well as pianist Jared Pierce and Mark Geslison, who is the director of several student ensembles here at BYU. Our first hymn is "Once in Royal David's City", performed by Cayson Renshaw and Riley Davis. Cayson Renshaw is a singer-songwriter from the San Francisco Bay-area, c...
Dec 17, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 175
Ep. 174: Conversations at PoWR
In August, our team attended the 2023 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, Illinois. Since 1893, this interfaith conference has advocated for harmony and dialogue across religious traditions and their believers. This year, In Good Faith presented on a panel (see below for link). Now, we also get to share with you the impromptu interviews Steve conducted at the Parliament. He speaks first with Rev. Dallas Conyers and her efforts to combat climate change, an overarching theme at the Par...
Dec 10, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 174
Ep. 173: LDS Experience in Turkey – Turkey Series, Part X
Welcome to our 10-part series exploring Turkey as a crossroads of faith, a place where world religions have met, overlapped, replaced one another, sometimes peacefully, sometimes not. In today's episode we're exploring the history of Latter-day Saints in Turkey, one of many tiny minority religious groups finding a place and building community amongst a majority-Muslim population. The size of the present congregation would seem to point to a new missionary effort just getting a toe-hold in Turkey...
Nov 05, 2023•52 min•Season 2023Ep. 173
Ep. 172: Turkish Food and Culture – Turkey Series, Part IX
This is episode 9 of our 10-episode series about the crossroads of faith in Turkiye, an ancient land a modern nation. In this episode we explore traditions of the local people and suss out the difference between culture and religion. First, we'll speak with Pinar Bayrack Toydemir, the founder of the Utah Turkish American Association (UTAA) and originally from Ankara, but now living in the Salt Lake City area. We'll also sit down with Zeki Tulak, who served as our guide in the Kapodokya area, and...
Oct 29, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 172
Ep. 171: Book Club, Poetry by Rumi – Turkey Series, Part VIII
We have a special treat amid the Turkey series--book club is back! To follow up on Episode 7, host Steven Kapp Perry and senior producer Heather Bigley meet with Kevin Blankinship and Rasoul Sorkhabi to discuss the poetry of Rumi. The group discusses the geographical and cultural impacts on Rumi in 13th century Anatolia as well his esteemed writing style and influence. Rasoul Sorkhabi holds a PHD in geology from Kyoto University in Japan, as well as M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees from Jammu University ...
Oct 22, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 171
Ep. 170: Rumi and the Sheikh – Turkey Series, Part VII
This week we visit the tomb of Sufi mystic Rumi, who is one of the most popular poets the world over. We explore the relationship between Islam and Sufism, as well as the influence of Rumi on Muslims everywhere, not just Turkey. We speak with scholar Kevin Blankinship about Rumi's life and poetry and we visit with Sheikh Ahmet Sami Kuçuk in Konya, the city where Rumi settled over 800 years ago. We'll also observe the dervishes in their whirling trance. All up next on this episode of In Good Fait...
Oct 15, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 170
Ep. 169: Ottomans and the Imam – Turkey Series, Part VI
In this episode, we explore Islam in Turkey, a country that is now 97% Muslim, but for over a millennium was pre-dominantly Christian. We'll discuss how that transition took place, well into the rule of the Ottomans, with Professor Christine Isom-Verhaaren, and we'll meet a former Imam, Cemil Usta, who founded an afterschool program to teach girls how to recite the Koran. That recitation is like a performance, almost a song, and we'll hear Cemil Usta recite a section of the Koran as well. Check ...
Oct 08, 2023•54 min•Season 2023Ep. 169
Ep. 168: The Hagia Sophia – Turkey Series, Part V
The Hagia Sophia is the most famous building in all of Istanbul. It's a marvel of 6th century architecture and it's still a marvel today. Originally a Christian cathedral, it was converted to a mosque when the Ottomans conquered Istanbul. In the 20th century, the building was turned into a museum and in 2020 it was converted back to a mosque by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We visited during Eid when tourists and pilgrims lined up in a queue that looped around Sultanahmet Square. We al...
Oct 01, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 168
Ep. 167: The Caves of Cappadocia and Ancient Christianity – Turkey Series, Part IV
Today on In Good Faith, we're exploring–literally–ancient Christianity in Turkey. In fact, for this episode we scrunched down into tunnels in an underground city in the Kapadokya region and we toured churches in caves and contemplated mosaics that were almost two thousand years old. This ornamentation is done in the artistic style of Greek Orthodox churches that can later be seen throughout the East. We speak with Professors Mark Ellison and Matthew Grey about the architecture and sacred spaces ...
Sep 24, 2023•52 min•Season 2023Ep. 167
Ep. 166: Paul in Ephesus – Turkey Series, Part III
Today we're talking about a place and a person, both of which were important in the first expansion of a world religion. This week we're visiting Ephesus to understand early Christian converts and the life of Paul, with special emphasis on his confrontation with the silversmiths guild, as discussed in Acts 19. We'll talk again with Professor Luke Drake. Dr. Drake completed a PhD at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in Ancient Mediterranean Religions, and a master of theological stud...
Sep 17, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 166
Ep. 165: Jewish Communities in Turkey – Turkey Series, Part II
In this episode of In Good Faith, we dive deeper into the history of Jewish life in Turkey, including an interview with Avram Sevinti, a leader of the Jewish Community Center in modern Izmir. We'll explore Sardes, the site of an ancient synagogue, and examine statues of the goddess Artemis outside of Ephesus, to better understand the larger society that existed around the Jews. Today we discuss Greek and Roman mythology and how that impacted the Jews living in the area. To help us with the histo...
Sep 10, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 165
Ep. 164: Introducing the Crossroads of Faith – Turkey Series, Part I
Every week on the In Good Faith podcast we take you on a journey—usually that’s a guest sharing their personal journey of faith and belief. Starting this week, however, we’ll take you on a literal journey—a 10-part series we recorded with a crew in Turkey, a place which has seen huge shifts in religious beliefs over the centuries. We’ll talk with historians, leaders, and of course modern-day believers about the amazing place they call home. In April 2023, just as the Holy Fast period of Ramadan ...
Sep 03, 2023•53 min•Season 2023Ep. 164
TRAILER: In Good Faith Turkey Series
Join us for a special series in Turkey, where we explore the history, culture, and religions of this ancient land and modern nation. This new series of In Good Faith starts Sunday, Sep 3.
Aug 30, 2023•1 min
BONUS: Religious Freedom Panel with Steve
Join Steve in talking with fellow podcasters Adela Cojab, Trey Ferguson, and Uzma Jafri. Adela Cojab is a speaker on Jewish rights and equality under the law. She speaks at conferences and college campuses about anti-Semitism, Zionism, and human rights. Cojab believes that all students are entitled to learn in a harassment-free environment, and works to advocate on their behalf. She has also authored and contributed to published pieces about Judaism, activism, and anti-Semitism. Trey Ferguson is...
Aug 06, 2023•1 hr 2 min
BONUS: Religious Freedom Panel with Heather
Join Heather in talking with fellow podcasters Robert Monson, Zaiba Hasan, and Samuel Gay. Robert Monson Jr. is a writer, musician, creative, avid reader, and theologian who does work around the intersection of Black liberation and womanist theology. He is a graduate of United Theological Seminary and is currently working towards a Ph.D. His two podcasts, Three Black Men and Black Coffee & Theology, along with his work as co-director of the organization Enfleshed seek to bring about thought ...
Aug 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min
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