Founded in 2007 as a "learning community that mobilizes Christians to advance the common good," Q was part of a broader movement of Christian cultural engagement in the mid-aughts and early teens. Much of it influenced by the late Tim Keller. Today, Q — now THINQ Media — feels emblematic of the broader tensions within evangelicalism around how Christians should navigate what they see as an increasingly hostile culture. The "winsome" approach is increasingly seen as naive, cultural engagement has...
May 29, 2025•56 min•Season 9Ep. 13
First, we set the scene with our our most movie-worthy post-breakup moments — we're talking ice cream binging, sad song belting, pillow weeping melt downs. Next up, we get into your break-up stories. It's our long-awaited break-up episode and you, dear listeners, delivered. You sent in your sad stories, you sent in your sob stories, you sent in your weird stories and you sent in your evangelical stories. In this break-up bonanza, Katelyn and Roxy dissect the anatomy of a break-up — what makes fo...
May 22, 2025•56 min
Have you ever found yourself mid-doomscroll, suddenly enthralled by a beautiful woman baking a pie and arranging an armful of flowers freshly picked from her garden, while in the background her children play with adorable wooden toys on a natural fiber rug? You have stumbled into the trad-wife corner of the internet. Welcome. The bread is fresh and the grass is definitely greener (it's natural fertilizer). On this episode of the podcast, Katelyn and Roxy give you a tour of the trad wife phenemon...
May 15, 2025•56 min•Season 9Ep. 11
You don't want to be THAT tourist. We all need a vacation and many of us are seeking more than rest or fun on our next getaway. Pilgrimages, retreats, wellness centers — an industry has grown up around the desire to to find transcendence — or at least a bit of mindfulness — while escaping real life. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy explore the cringe factors inherent in spiritual tourism — selfies in temples anyone? — and the true rewards that sacred travel can offer. We are joined by travel wr...
May 08, 2025•50 min
It's 2025, and the vibes feel a bit...off. It's been nearly five years since the murder of George Floyd and the national and global protests it sparked. Since then, we've seen local efforts to stop public schools from teaching about racism in America; withdrawal of federal funding for DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs; and a broad attitude shift against various progressive causes. How do white Americans, especially white women, stay engaged in the work of racial justice when the he...
Apr 30, 2025•59 min
Pope Francis was a man of the people. Will the next pope be? After 12 years as the head of the Catholic church — and the most famous Christian in the world — Pope Francis died on Monday (April 21) at 88. A charismatic reformer, the first Latin American pope and the first Jesuit pope, Francis was beloved well beyond the Catholic church. As world leaders, Catholic faithful and cardinals from around the globe travel to the Vatican this week to mourn Francis, talk of his successor has also begun. Th...
Apr 24, 2025•45 min•Season 9Ep. 9
Good Friday and Easter are basically the pinnacle of the Christian calendar. What it all centers on. But in recent years we’ve seen a lot of angst over what Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection really mean — and if what people grew up believing about them might be all wrong. We're talking, of course, about PSA — or penal substitutionary atonement theory. For some, this explanation of what happened on the cross has become more obstacle than on-ramp to Christianity. And has left many won...
Apr 17, 2025•50 min•Season 9Ep. 7
Chappell Roan says all her friends with kids are in hell. A popular subreddit asks "does anyone else just… not like kids?" A crowd of the usual suspects — pro-natalists, theo bros and mom influencers — pounce on these examples to decry our increasingly "anti-kid" and "childless cat lady" culture. Is this just a recycled generational debate — feminists vs homemakers but this time on TikTok — or is there something new going on here? Are some women (and men too, though maybe to less pearl clutching...
Apr 10, 2025•48 min•Season 9Ep. 6
Did you know there are piles of guidebooks meant to help women excel at being the church's first lady? From how to step out of a car when pulling up to church on Sunday, to preparing the perfect casserole, to keeping the kids smiling and still in the front pew. And those dirty dishes in the sink? They could be the talk of the lady's luncheon if you're not careful. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy dig into the pile of expectations put on pastor's wives — and the idea that his ministry must be he...
Apr 03, 2025•52 min
What’s the woo-iest thing you believe in? Angels and demons? Ghosts? Astrology? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy dabble in the metaphysical and get curious about the mystical. We also wonder if maybe we’ve gotten a little too skeptical of the spiritual? Enter our guest today: New York Times columnist, UFO enthusiast and religion apologist, Ross Douthat. We discuss the allure of the supernatural, the dangers of syncretism and why religion is the rational choice.
Mar 27, 2025•56 min
Katelyn and Roxy both moved to New York City with a dream of starting fresh and the promise of a new life with new adventures, new friends and new romance. And, to be honest, New York delivered on pretty much all of that. It's a great city! But it's not the only city — and moving here cost us too. Money, yes, but also stability and roots and proximity to long-time friends. We've both moved from city to city over the years, and we've gained gifts in each but we've also come to realize that age-ol...
Mar 20, 2025•49 min
Were you more of a truth person or a dare person? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy revisit some of the Capital T-truths of their youth group days and dare to say "maybe I don't believe that anymore." From hell to dinosaurs to midnight demons, we go there. And we're joined by Erin Hicks Moon, who isn’t afraid to ask the big, thorny questions about modern faith. Questions like: What if this whole Christian thing is just a man-made system used to control people? Why does it feel like so many Chris...
Mar 13, 2025•56 min
It's toxic. It's sinful. It's compassion corrupted. It's ruining the world and is definitely at the root of all the bad things. What is this fresh evil? Empathy, of course! Or so says a growing faction of Christians with very loud voices. On this first episode of a brand new season, Katelyn and Roxy try to trace this argument back to its roots and figure out how a trait that seems so virtuous — so Christian — became the bogeyman for a new movement of conservative evangelicals. Plus: a sickness s...
Mar 06, 2025•48 min
Core memory: flipping the Bible open to a random page, pointing with eyes closed to a verse, and "claiming" that verse as God's answer to the particular problem of that day. Whew. Where did we get that idea? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy dig into those formative experiences with the Bible, many of them shaped by an evangelical approach to Bible reading and interpretation. We reflect on why Bible reading has become so complicated (even triggering?) as adults. What would it take to approach th...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Gather 'round with your marshmallows and cups of cheer, it's that time of year to send good tidings and spiced takes. No, that's not a typo, though maybe you can have your cake and eat it too with this year's roasts and toasts. Did you embrace the barrel leg and the ballet flat? Are you pro-pigmy hippo or did you mute baby Moo Deng? And what about the end of Bennifer (again)? Katelyn and Roxy are joined by their first ever co-host, the extra zingy Tiffany Bluhm, as we up vote and down vote our w...
Dec 12, 2024•53 min
The days are getting short. The nights are getting long. Christ has come but he'll also come again. We're in the now and the not yet. We're waiting, preparing, standing guard. Y'all it's Advent. And this year, we are living that limbo life. Katelyn and Roxy explore the lessons of Advent for those in between seasons and how to live with intentionality when you're not sure what's next. Stephanie Duncan Smith joins the show to share some of her reflections on life through the lens of the liturgical...
Dec 05, 2024•49 min
Picture this: a knock on the apartment door, in sweeps Jonathan Woodward, straight off a flight from Maine, grocery bags in hand. A few hours later, the apartment is heavy with the rich smells of simmering onions, sizzling beef and a stewing redwine sauce. A few more hours later, a few more knocks on the door and a party of four are seated at a table laden with food, wine and .... mics. It's our Thanksgiving special and we invite you to come, enjoy a meal with Katelyn, Roxy and special guests Jo...
Nov 28, 2024•50 min
Were you surprised by this year's presidential election results? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy examine some of the major stories — religion and otherwise — to come out of exit polls. Hello rightward drifting young men. We are joined by award-winning journalist and political observer, Tim Alberta, who offers us both retrospective and prospective, forensics and forecast. We ask what to expect in a second Trump administration — and where might evangelicals fit in. GUEST: Tim Alberta is a staff ...
Nov 21, 2024•47 min
And yet, there are so many of us who have gone through a divorce and found love again. This week, Roxy talks about the many jagged edges of divorce and the long healing process. Katelyn asks: How can you be a good friend supporting someone facing a divorce? And we are joined by Melissa Moore who shares her own story of divorce recovery and how being divorced has affected her remarriage — for better and worse. GUEST: Melissa Moore is a writer and leader with Living Proof Ministries. She is the co...
Nov 14, 2024•54 min
Life is no straight and narrow path and we've taken a few ill-advised turns. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy reflect on our smallest and biggest whoopsie daisies. Well, not all of them. We have a few categories to guide us. For example: what’s your “I shouldn’t have said that regret," and “biggest regret from 1998-2002” and “a memorable fashion regret.” But also, it won’t be that bad, because of course, everyone has regrets. Even Katelyn's 5-year-old nephew — who you will hear from and who has...
Nov 07, 2024•46 min
What's spookier than a coffee hour full of strangers? Katelyn is on the road toward the midwest and a new city means a new church. But how to find the perfect match? It's no easy task and Roxy is here to help — with a super clarifying set of potential church scenarios. Red light: flee and don't look back. Yellow light: take a beat. Green light: go forth in peace. But, for real, what is it people look for when they look for a church? What makes a church good? We are joined this week by veteran re...
Oct 31, 2024•45 min•Season 8Ep. 6
If you've "deconstructed" from evangelicalism — or any faith tradition — you know that as your faith has evolved your practices have shifted too. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy explore what it means to find ways to engage with God, with church and with spiritual practices that feel honest and life giving in this, ahem, season (you can take the girl out of evangelicalism but ...). We are joined by musician — and friend! — Jayne Sugg, whose new album "Belief Is Hard" is a beautiful exploration ...
Oct 24, 2024•50 min•Season 9Ep. 5
In this era of political extremes, few of us have gone untouched by polarization. We've had family fights, friendship rifts and, for some, church splits. When did politics become so central, so essential? Is this what idolatry looks like? In these last remaining weeks before America's presidential election, Katelyn and Roxy talk with former Republican darling (turned GOP pariah), Nancy French, about the personal cost of putting politics first. Nancy shares her own story of being disowned by many...
Oct 17, 2024•50 min
It's our first live episode, coming to you from Religion News Service's 90th anniversary symposium and gala (90 years!) in the heart of Manhattan. Our live audience has cocktails, so grab a drink and settle in as we test our audience's NYC knowledge, reflect on the past and future of Saved By the City, and quiz our guests to discover just how deep their religion nerdery goes. It's Saved By the City — live from New York! GUESTS: Simran Jeet Singh is is Assistant Professor of Interreligious Histor...
Oct 10, 2024•48 min
The American Church's relationship with sex has always been a little complicated, but it got a lot more complicated with the explosive popularity of Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker's Every Man's Battle, which trained a generation of Christian men to see themselves as dormant predators and women as their natural enemies. Now, Sheila Wray Gregoire joins Tyler to put Every Man's Battle to the test, and weigh the book's findings against what we actually know about women, sex and purity culture.
Oct 08, 2024•52 min
We've long admired the kind of radical, intentional community that requires its members to make real commitments and sacrifices — and that holds out a vision of Christian ethics built on Jesus' sermon on the mount. Maybe we've even idealized it. In this episode, Katelyn and Roxy hear from journalist Eliza Griswold about the fate of just such a community and what happened when America's wider societal fractures found them. Plus, we go on an eras tour through our various Christian phases. GUEST: E...
Oct 03, 2024•49 min
You know that feeling when you have just SO. MUCH. TO. SAY about a particular current event but your podcast is on summer break?? Yeah, it's the worst. Silver lining? We've been saving up that snark for months. So, here goes, why did JD Vance's comments about how childless cat ladies are ruining America hurt our feelings? You could probably guess but wouldn't it be more fun to listen to the episode? Plus, some summer reminiscing. And Katelyn and Roxy ask the church: how are you elevating and inc...
Sep 26, 2024•44 min
In the '00s, America was introduced to J.D. Vance, who pitched himself as a middle man between coastal elites and the rural white Americans he'd been raised around. Hillbilly Elegy was part memoir/part explainer and, at the time, seemed to establish Vance as a moderate conservative who wanted to bridge the partisa cultural, political and religious divide. In this episode, Tyler and journalist/critic Sam Thielman explore Hillbilly Elegy and chart Vance's strange, subsequent journey to becoming Do...
Sep 19, 2024•52 min
This week we’re wrapping up the special SBTC summer series, “Tell Katelyn What to Do with Her Life,” and Katelyn’s going out with a bang by asking the Beaty Brain Trust about the joys and challenges of parenthood. SBTC diehards will likely remember Roxy and Katelyn’s great conversation with Annie Parsons last fall. Annie shared her journey of becoming a single mother by choice. At the time, Roxy and Katelyn agreed they wouldn’t likely go down the path as single people. We reserve the right to ch...
Aug 29, 2024•48 min
Meeting a man. Moving apartments. Literally just moving. Maybe it’s a product of living in NYC, but it seems like you can’t walk outside your door these days without dropping mad cash. It has recently occurred to Katelyn that, whatever big life decisions she makes, they will assuredly require some financial investment. Experts say by age 40, you should have an emergency fund, be debt-free, and have a retirement nest egg. Gulp. That’s why episode 3 of the SBTC summer series, “Tell Katelyn What to...
Aug 22, 2024•40 min
