In this unique episode of 'In Good Faith,' guests come together on the SS IGF to explore the intersections of spirituality and Star Trek. Rob Monson of 3 Black Men, Dan Libenson of Judaism Unbound, Carl Youngblood of Mormon Transhumanism, Barry Lam of Hi-Phi Nation, and friend of the show Reverend Dani Lee discuss their favorite Star Trek series and episodes, reflecting on how the show's themes have influenced their lives and spiritual beliefs. The conversation also delves into broader theologic...
Apr 02, 2025•50 min•Season 2025Ep. 277
This episode explores the intersection of neurodiversity and spirituality, featuring three guests diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), David Gray Hammond, Father Matthew P. Schneider, and David Derbyshire. Each shares their insights on how autism impacts their spiritual lives and their unique relationship with God. David Gray Hammond, diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia, discusses how his diagnoses shaped his spirituality. Father Matthew P. Schneider talks about his journey ...
Mar 30, 2025•54 min•Season 2025Ep. 276
Jared Stewart shares how he, as someone diagnosed with autism, found a unique personal connection with God and offers insights into the neurodivergent experience in religious settings. He talks about the diversity within the autism spectrum, common misunderstandings, and offers suggestions on how congregations can better support neurodivergent members. Jared Stewart has spent over two decades working with neurodivergent adolescents and adults as a teacher, life coach, and licensed behavior analy...
Mar 26, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 275
Rev. Dr. Katie O'Dunne discusses her experiences with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), including scrupulosity, and her journey through faith and healing. She shares deeply personal anecdotes about how it impacted her ministry, and her efforts to raise awareness and provide support within faith communities. Katie O'Dunne founded 'Stick with the Ick,' a virtual community for those navigating faith and OCD. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, she spent 7 years as the Academy Ch...
Mar 23, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 274
James Finley shares how he found solace in God amidst family trauma, inspired by Thomas Merton's writings, ultimately becoming a therapist and author. James Finley is faculty member of the Center for Action and Contemplation. Fr. Thomas Merton was Finley’s novice master and spiritual director while he was a monk at the Trappist monastery of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. He earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology and primarily works with people suffering from the long-term effects of inter...
Mar 19, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 273
Jennifer Wiseman. PhD., emphasizes the importance of humility and curiosity in both scientific and spiritual endeavors, while also sharing personal experiences of awe and wonder. Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is an astrophysicist, author, and speaker. She studies the process of star and planet formation in our galaxy using radio, optical, and infrared telescopes. She is the Director Emeritus of the program of Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) for the American Association for the Advanceme...
Mar 16, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 272
Harold Koenig discusses how patients' religious beliefs and practices significantly impact their health and recovery, a realization that stemmed from his days as a nurse and later reinforced during his medical and psychiatric practice. Harold Koenig is Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. He is the lead author of the Handbook of Religion and Health, the seminal research text on the relationship betw...
Mar 12, 2025•27 min•Season 2025Ep. 271
Rabbi Adina Allen discusses the profound connection between creativity, spirituality, and healing. She emphasizes that art and creativity are divine acts; the spiritual practice of creative expression is essential to understanding God. Rabbi Adina Allen is cofounder and creative director of Jewish Studio Project (JSP), an organization that sees creativity as a force for spiritual connection and social transformation. Based on the work of her mother, renowned art therapist Pat B. Allen, Adina dev...
Mar 09, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 270
Robert Hesse, PhD., talks with Steve about a mystical experience that deeply affected his life and outlook. Hesse also describes his journey back to faith after years away, inspired by Thomas Merton's writings. Robert Hesse is a Catholic deacon and Chairman and Co-Founder of interfaith Contemplative Network. He is a practicing mystic and author of Faith and Science: A Journey into God’s Mystical Love. He holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. He has co-authored neuroscience research studies on imp...
Mar 05, 2025•27 min•Season 2025Ep. 269
Zeyneb Sayilgan is a Muslim woman who grew up in Germany as the daughter of Turkish immigrants, where she faced discrimination and challenges due to her faith. She speaks about her move to the United States, where she found a more accepting environment. Zeyneb Sayilgan is the host of the Podcast On Being Muslim: Wisdom from the Risale-i Nur. Her work has appeared in scholarly and popular journals like DIALOG, Religion News Service, Covenant, U.S.Catholic, in German media outlets like Qantara, MI...
Mar 02, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 268
Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson talk to Steve about their organization Judaism Unbound. Lex Rofeberg is Senior Jewish educator for Judaism Unbound -- a digital, Jewish non-profit organization and oversees Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva (a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning), produces and co-hosts its weekly podcast, and facilitates regular forms of communal gathering, via Zoom, for Jews and Jewish-adjacent non-Jews. Dan Libenson is President of Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Tora...
Feb 26, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 267
Curtis Chang of Redeeming Babel shares his journey of becoming a Christian from a non-Christian family, his youthful challenges of integrating faith with secular life, and his various roles bridging the worlds of theology and secular institutions. Curtis Chang is the founding executive director of Redeeming Babel and host of the Good Faith podcast. Over the course of his career, he has bridged the worlds of secular institutions and theology. In the former world, he is the founder and CEO of Cons...
Feb 23, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 266
Michael Sabet, editor of The Journal of Bahá’í Studies, shares how religious law teaches him the depth of God's love for him personally and the rest of us, too. Michael Sabet is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto. His research involves putting a Bahá'í framework for governance into dialogue with political philosophy. He is a lawyer by training, having practiced constitutional litigation in Ottawa after clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Feb 19, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 265
Jason Shelton describes how his family's religious experiences and membership in the AME Church influenced his research for his latest book, “The Contemporary Black Church: the new dynamics of African American religion.” Dr. Jason E. Shelton is Full Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. His research interests concern the sociology of religion, as well as the intersections of race, class, and attitudes about various...
Feb 16, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 264
Daisy Khan of WISE returns to talk to Steve about her latest book, 30 Rights of Muslim Women. Daisy Khan is an award-winning author, public speaker, and media commentator. She founded the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), a global network promoting peacebuilding, gender equality, and human dignity. Dr. Khan's publications, WISE Up: Knowledge Ends Extremism, Born with Wings, and 30 Rights of Muslim Women, debunk Islamophobic myths and demystify hardline extremist vie...
Feb 12, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 263
Nijay Gupta of Slow Theology joins Steve for a chat about Tell Her Story, Gupta's exploration of women preachers, prophets, and leaders in the Bible. Nijay Gupta co-chairs the Pauline Theology seminar of the Institute for Biblical Research and serves as a senior translator for the New Living Translation. He also co-hosts the podcast, “Slow Theology: Simple Faith for Chaotic Times”. He is the author of Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He has co-edited The...
Feb 09, 2025•29 min•Season 2025Ep. 262
Najah Bazzy, the founder of Zaman International, explains the catalytic moment of helping a refugee family that inspired her humanitarian work. She also discusses her dedication to addressing recurring needs in breaking cycles of poverty. like transportation, childcare, and hope. Najah Bazzy is an American humanitarian, interfaith leader, nurse, and founder and CEO of Zaman International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty and its causes.
Feb 05, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 261
Joseph Vukov, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago, discusses how to remain human in the AI era and shares the Catholic perspective on AI, relationships, and the divine. Joseph Vukov is the author of Navigating Faith and Science (2022), The Perils of Perfection (2023), and numerous academic articles on topics ranging from the ethics of neuroscience to the philosophy of mind. He has published most recently Staying Human in an Era of Artificial Intelligence (2024).
Feb 02, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 260
Steve discusses Dr. King's A Letter from Birmingham Jail with Pastor Vinetta Golphin-Wilkerson and Dr. LaShawn Williams. Reverend Vinnetta Golphin-Wilkerson has been serving the West Valley City community since 2011, when she moved from Atlanta to Salt Lake City to lead the congregation of Granger Community Christian Church. During her time as reverend, she began hosting Project Cornucopia, an event aimed to create a one-stop-shop for community members to learn about and access needed resources ...
Jan 26, 2025•53 min•Season 2025Ep. 259
Can you change a city with a sandwich? Laura Baldwin describes how solving food insecurity in Atlanta helps people leave the streets and find stability. Her Jewish faith pushes her to help others. Laura Baldwin is vice-president of The Sandwich Project. On the average week, she collects between 200-400 sandwiches at her home that are distributed to local organizations who serve those experiencing food insecurity.
Jan 22, 2025•27 min•Season 2025Ep. 258
Angela Rice of Interfaith Community Initiatives in Atlanta shares how she became involved with interfaith work and how she sees herself as an activist. Angela Harrington Rice is the Executive Director of Interfaith Community Initiatives, a community organization with a travel program called World Pilgrims. She worked for 35 years with Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters. Ms. Rice holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Mass Communication/Media Studies from Clark College.
Jan 19, 2025•27 min•Season 2025Ep. 257
Lapidus & Myles, and interfaith musical duo, share three original compositions with Steve. The two met through the interfaith work of their congregations, Ebeneezer Baptist and The Temple in Atlanta. The duo writes and performs music aimed at addressing contemporary social issues and inspiring listeners Rabbi Micah Lapidus and Melvin Myles compose and perform music together in Atlanta, GA and across the country. Rabbi Micah is the Director of Jewish and Hebrew Studies at the Alfred and Adele...
Jan 15, 2025•28 min•Season 2025Ep. 256
Steve travels to Atlanta and sits down with Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser, who shares how interfaith work is civil rights work, and how Shabat might be the most important Jewish holiday. Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser has worked in congregations, at Jewish summer camps, and at Emory University’s Center for Israel Education. She is currently the part-time rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Fayetteville, GA. She also serves as the president of Interfaith Atlanta.
Jan 12, 2025•26 min•Season 2025Ep. 255
Sherry Frank joins Steve from Atlanta to discuss Jewish involvement in civil rights and women's push for equality. They cover her connection to Daddy King (Martin Luther King, Sr.) and Congressman John Lewis, how committee and organizational work helped her achieve public good, and her decision to have an adult bat mitzvah. Sherry Frank has served on committees of United Way, the Atlanta Regional Commission, and the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta. In addition, she was on the National Bo...
Jan 08, 2025•25 min•Season 2025Ep. 254
Steve travels to Atlanta and meets with Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley, a "foot soldier" in the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s--and involved now in climate crisis activism as an extension of his faith and civil rights work. The Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Durley was a student leader in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. He served in the U.S. Peace Corp in Nigeria before moving to Switzerland, where he earned a postgraduate degree and played basketball for a National Swiss team. He then...
Jan 05, 2025•25 min•Season 2025Ep. 253
Joshua Meyer discusses Eight Approaches, an art work of 8 panels that evokes Hanukkah, and his technique of painting with palette knives. Joshua Meyer is an artist based in Cambridge MA. Originally from Lubbock TX, he attended the Bezalel Academy of art and Design in Jerusalem and Yale University. His exhibit Eight Approaches has been featured at the BYU Museum of Art, Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts, Hebrew College and the Museum of Fine Arts, both in Boston. Meyer has been recognized wit...
Jan 01, 2025•24 min•Season 2025Ep. 252
The In Good Faith team shares their favorite interviews from 2024.
Dec 29, 2024•54 min•Season 2024Ep. 251
Rabbi Creditor discusses the history of Hanukkah in America and the symbolism of the lighted candles. Rabbi Menachem Creditor serves as the Pearl and Ira Meyer Scholar in Residence at UJA-Federation New York and was the founder of Rabbis Against Gun Violence. An acclaimed author, scholar, and speaker, he was named by Newsweek as one of the fifty most influential rabbis in America. He has written numerous books and 6 albums of original music. He and his wife Neshama Carlebach live in New York, wh...
Dec 25, 2024•30 min•Season 2024Ep. 250
Welcome to a special Christmas episode of In Good Faith. Today we’ll share Christmas carols from local choirs—and it was quite a treat to be in the recording sessions as this music came together. We’ll hear from Bridge Creek Bell Choir, as well as Amplifyre and 1Achord, two A Cappella groups. We also have Utah Baroque, the BYU Jazz Ensembles (there are 2!), and the Irish band An Rogaine Dubh. We hope you enjoy our Choir Christmas and that this holy music brings light and peace into your December...
Dec 22, 2024•55 min•Season 2024Ep. 249
Our episode today is about being someone's angel in order to Light the World. Light the World is actually a charity campaign from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that runs every Christmas season, inviting people to contribute to their communities, locally and globally, in ways that will change people's lives. You can do this through Giving Machines in your area, through acts of service at JustServe.org, or by connecting with those who need a little more support all around you. Th...
Dec 15, 2024•55 min•Season 2024Ep. 248
