Daniel McInerny is associate professor and chair of the philosophy department at Christendom College in Virginia. He is also a novelist and dramatist. His scholarship is directed toward reactivating an Aristotle’s understanding of art as imitation, long out of favor among philosophers. HIs biggest step in that direction is his new book, Beauty & Imitation: A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts . Peter Kreeft wrote of his previous book, The Way of Beauty , “This is literally the best book on...
Jul 07, 2025•49 min•Season 7Ep. 25
A degenerative muscle disease has made Kevan Chandler altogether reliant on others for his daily care. So he has invited friends into his life—deep into his life—making his need a nexus for community and joy. Kevan’s new book, co-authored with his friend Tommy Shelton, is The Hospitality of Need: How Depending on One Another Helps Us Heal and Grow Together . For Kevan, need is an opportunity for community, an opportunity to love and care for those who love and care for him. Besides reminding us ...
Jun 30, 2025•47 min•Season 7Ep. 24
Besides being a stalwart of The Habit Membership for Writers, Meredith Davis is the founder of the Austin Texas chapter of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. And she’s the author of the middle-grade novel series, The Amazing Adventures of Noah Minor. The Minor Miracle was published in 2024; The Minor Rescue was published earlier this year. In this episode, Meredith speaks with Jonathan Rogers about her long road to publication, as well as her longstanding practice of hospit...
Jun 23, 2025•39 min•Season 7Ep. 23
Miroslav Volf is a theologian and professor at Yale Divinity School, where he is the founding director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He is widely known for his work on reconciliation, forgiveness, and the intersection of faith and public life. He’s the author of at least twelve books, including the highly influential Exclusion and Embrace , as well as many articles and quite a few co-authored books. His most recent book is The Cost of Ambition: How Striving to Be Better than Others M...
Jun 16, 2025•45 min•Season 7Ep. 22
Judith McQuoid lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the hometown of CS Lewis—or Jacks, as he was known when he lived there. Inspired by Belfast, her love of Lewis, and her own family history, Judith wrote a middle-grade novel about young Jacks Lewis and an imagined friendship with a boy from a very different background. It’s a book about creativity, friendship, and the ways we can give one another a little more courage and a little more hope. It was my pleasure to talk to Judith McQuoid about her...
Jun 02, 2025•41 min•Season 7Ep. 21
Dr. Warren Kinghorn is a psychiatrist and theologian at Duke University, where he holds joint appointments at Duke Divinity School and the Duke University Medical Center. Warren’s work focuses on the intersection of theology, mental health, and human flourishing—and he brings an integrated, humane perspective to questions that too often get reduced to biology or technique. His new book is Wayfaring: A Christian Approach to Mental Health Care . In this episode, Warren Kinghorn and Jonathan Rogers...
May 26, 2025•46 min•Season 7Ep. 20
When Andrew Peterson started the Rabbit Room—this was 2006 or 2007—he didn’t know what to expect. He had no way of knowing that this little group blog written by friends and friends of friends would give rise to annual conferences—Hutchmoot and Hutchmoot UK—to a publishing house, to an event space—North Wind Manor—to The Local Show, to Rabbit Room Theater, to the podcast network of which The Habit Podcast is a part. More to the point, Andrew had no way of knowing what a difference the Rabbit Roo...
May 19, 2025•48 min•Season 7Ep. 19
Will Parker Anderson is a senior editor at Waterbrook-Multnomah, a division of Random House Publishing. He’s also the proprietor of a Substack called Writer’s Circle , in which he provides tips on the writing craft and seeks to demystify the publishing industry. In this episode, Will and Jonathan Rogers talk the “three legs” of publishing: platform, content, and concept. Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/member See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 12, 2025•46 min•Season 7Ep. 18
Amy Baik Lee has written that in every place her life has taken her, "there have been hints of beauty and great knocks of mercy that have called to me from beyond my surroundings, always speaking of a King and Friend and Father whose presence is truly Home.” That sense of longing, those clues that perhaps we were made for a different world, make their way out in every thing Amy writes, and especially in her book, T his Homeward Ache: How Our Yearning for the Life to Come Spurs on Our Life Today ...
May 05, 2025•47 min•Season 7Ep. 17
Besides creating the One Year Adventure Novel and Cover Story writing curricula for students, Daniel Schwabauer has also written fiction and nonfiction for writers of all ages. He also teaches English at MidAmerica Nazarene University near Kansas City. His new book is The God of Story: Discovering the Narrative of Scripture Through the Language of Storytelling . In this episode, Daniel and Jonathan Rogers discuss ideals of power vs. ideals of principle, story as a means of defamiliarization, and...
Apr 28, 2025•46 min•Season 7Ep. 16
Mark Meynell is a freelance writer and speaker based in the UK. He’s the author of Life After Life and A Wilderness of Mirrors . He’s a co-host of the Tryptich podcast , and he’s an aficionado of Cold-War spy stories. In short, he’s a polymath and an excellent conversationalist. In this episode, Mark and Jonathan Rogers talk about the "immanent frame," instrumentalized art, and the power of beauty to challenge 'buffered selves' with the possibility of transcendence. Support the show: https://the...
Apr 21, 2025•50 min•Season 7Ep. 15
Matthew Clark is a singer/-songwriter, a storyteller, and a free spirit. He drives around America in a van he calls Vandalf, taking his music and stories and wisdom to audiences across the country. For the last six years he’s been working on a project he calls The Well Trilogy. Three albums of eleven songs, each accompanied by a collection of eleven essays inspired by the songs, written by friends of Matthew. The latest installment, Where the River Goes , comes out this week. In this episode, Ma...
Apr 14, 2025•43 min•Season 7Ep. 14
In this episode, Allen Levi and Jonathan Rogers discuss this connections between writerly voice and the voice with which the writer speaks every day. Allen Levi is a singer-songwriter and the author of The Last Sweet Mile and Theo of Golden . This episode is sponsored by The Habit Writer Development Cohorts, a six-week online small-group writing intensive designed to help writers develop their unique voice, refine their ideas, strengthen their craft, and build sustainable work habits. TheHabit.c...
Apr 07, 2025•35 min•Season 7Ep. 13
This archive episode of The Habit Podcast , from the first season, features a three-way conversation between Tish Harrison Warren, Doug McKelvey, and Jonathan Rogers. Tish is an Anglican priest, a former columnist for the New York Times and Christianity Today , a senior fellow at The Trinity Forum and the author of Prayer in the Night and T he Liturgy of the Ordinary . Doug is best known as the author of the Every Moment Holy books. In this episode, Tish, Doug, and Jonathan talk about the liturg...
Mar 31, 2025•35 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Flannery O'Connor's 100th birthday would have March 25, 2025. In this episode, Jonathan Rogers celebrates the life and work of this remarkable writer in an essay adapted from the introduction to his book, The Terrible Speed of Mercy: A Spiritual Biography of Flannery O'Connor. Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/member See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 24, 2025•20 min•Season 7Ep. 11
Ben Palpant loves, for reasons that become apparent in this episode. On assignment from the Rabbit Room, Ben sat down to interview a few poets. He enjoyed it so much, he interviewed a few more, then a few more. When he had interviewed seventeen poets, he collected those interviews into a book called An Axe for the Frozen Sea . It’s a fascinating look into the minds and hearts of poets who work out of gratitude, out of abundance—sometimes out of grief, never out of grievance. Support the show: ht...
Mar 10, 2025•37 min•Season 7Ep. 10
This week's episode is an essay, written and read by Jonathan Rogers. "Love, Happiness, and Creativity" begins (and ends) with an idea from Taylor Leonhardt's song "Diamonds"—the theme song for The Habit Podcast: "You are not an afterthought: Love himself dreamed you up." Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/member See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 03, 2025•21 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Kelly Kapic is a professor of theology at Covenant College near Chattanooga. His most recent book is You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's design, and Why That Is Good News . In this episode, Dr Kapik and Jonathan Rogers talk about productivity, shame, gratitude and the truth that finiteness is actually a blessing. Also, they talk about magnanimity and pusillanimity. This week’s episode comes from the archives. This conversation with Kelly Kapic first aired in January of 2022; it’s on...
Feb 24, 2025•50 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Charlie Peacock is a legendary musician, producer, and songwriter. His impact on the music industry spans decades. A Grammy-winning producer and a visionary artist, he's worked with some of the most influential names in music. But even more importantly, Charlie is known for his generosity and hospitality, pouring into the lives and work of artists through the Art House and other creative endeavors. His passion for nurturing talent and fostering deep artistic and spiritual conversations has shape...
Feb 17, 2025•44 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Andrew Osenga is a singer-songwriter, a guitarist, a record producer, a podcaster , a writer, and a friend and mentor to countless artists. For twenty years and more, he has been right in the middle of things in Nashville’s creative community. In this episode, recorded live at The Habit 2025 Winter Writers’ Weekend, Andy speaks with Jonathan Rogers about being a jack of all trades, the importance of community, and Andy's journey from bitterness to joy and purpose in his work. Support the show: h...
Feb 10, 2025•51 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Nikki Grimes is an award-winning poet, author, and artist celebrated for her works that highlight African American experiences and address themes of identity, resilience, and hope. She is the author of numerous books for children, teens, and adults, including poetry collections, picture books, and novels in verse. Her new collection of poetry is Glory, Too . Ms. Grimes's accolades include the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement and the NCTE Award for Excellence in...
Feb 03, 2025•40 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Kori Morgan ’s writing has been featured in such publications as Shenandoah, SN Review, Blanket Sea, Agape Review, Switchback, Rubbertop Review, Cantos, and Clayjar Review . She is the founder and Chief Literary Strategist of Inkling Creative Strategies , an author services company that helps writers reach their full creative potential so they can impact and inspire readers. She is also a stalwart of the Habit Membership. Her new book is Why I Dyed My Hair Purple & Other Unorthodox Stories ....
Jan 27, 2025•42 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Maria Bowler is a writer, coach, and retreat leader. She describes her work as “nourishing imaginative souls so they can make new worlds.” Her new book is Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity . In this episode, Maria and Jonathan discuss making the shift from a producer mindset to a creator mindset, and from hustle to deep effort. They also talk about collaborating with reality. This episode is sponsored by The Focus Retreat, a four-day writing getaway, March 16-20 i...
Jan 20, 2025•44 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Quina Aragon is an author, editor, and spoken word poet based in Florida. Her work has been featured by organizations such as Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and Risen Motherhood. Her latest book is Love Has a Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God . In this episode, Quina and Jonathan Rogers talk about why it took her four years to write a book she thought would take ten months. They also talk about connections between counseling and writing, the ways that performing spoke...
Jan 13, 2025•43 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Sarah Clarkson is a writer whose work centers on beauty and grief, story and quiet. She has written of herself, “I’m trying to write well about my own sorrow, and my own encounters with the beauty that defied my darkness and drew me into a life of creativity, quiet, and wonder.” She studied theology at Oxford University. She is the author or co-author of six books, most recently Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention , which she wrote to answer her own questions about what it mea...
Jan 06, 2025•45 min•Season 7Ep. 1
You know Sam (SD) Smith as the author of the Green Ember series –#RabbitsWithSwords. Sam and his son Josiah (JC) Smith have joined forces as the co-authors of the Jack Zulu series – Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key and Jack Zulu and the Girl with the Golden Wings (so far). In this episode, Jonathan Rogers speaks with the the Smiths about what it’s like to co-write a book and, more to the point, what it’s like to co-write a book with your offspring…or with your parent, as the case may be. Suppor...
Dec 09, 2024•51 min•Season 6Ep. 52
Besides being a novelist, Pete Peterson is a playwright and the head of Rabbit Room Theater. He is also the publisher at Rabbit Room Press. Matt Logan is the director, set designer, and costume designer who has brought all of Pete’s plays to vivid life. Matt and Pete are putting the finishing touches on a new stage adaptation of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol . Its inaugural run will be December 7-December 22 in Franklin, Tennessee. You can get your tickets at RabbitRoom.com Support the show: https...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 51
Leslie Eiler Thompson is a podcast producer and writer. Her work has been featured on Apple Podcasts, The Guardian, Nashville Public Radio, Christianity Today, Rabbit Room, and beyond. Her newest audio project, Niche to Meet You , is an investigative storytelling podcast about little-known niche interests and hobbies where we make and find meaning. One of the niche interests she has investigated is wild turkey conservation. Since it’s Thanksgiving Week in the United States, Jonathan Rogers is ta...
Nov 25, 2024•48 min•Season 6Ep. 50
Willie Pearl is an Americana/Southern rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. Their new album is called Willie Pearl . In this special bonus episode, singer-songwriter Henry Rogers of Willie Pearl speaks with Jonathan Rogers about songwriting, perfectionism, and letting go. Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/member See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 21, 2024•43 min•Season 6Ep. 49
Caroline Cobb is a singer-songwriter known for her deep engagement with Scripture. Her first foray into book-writing is Advent for Exiles: 25 Devotions to Awaken Gospel Hope in Every Longing Heart . In this episode, Caroline and Jonathan Rogers discuss the idea of exile, a pervasive theme in the Bible, as well as the artist’s role of planting seeds for the new Eden. The Habit Podcast is sponsored by The Habit Membership , a library of resources by me, Jonathan Rogers. More importantly, The Habit...
Nov 18, 2024•36 min•Season 6Ep. 48
