Part of the mission statement of Biola University is to engage culture, and we take this seriously. So when Brigham Young University (BYU) reached out to see if Biola students would be open to beginning an interfaith dialogue, we jumped at the opportunity. Tim, on behalf of Biola, and professor Andrew Reed (Ph.D.), on behalf of BYU, are helping to lead this initiative, which includes co-teaching a class on civility, communication skills, and interfaith dialogue. On today’s episode, Tim and Andre...
May 25, 2026•34 min•Ep. 149
"Praxis" is when you put theory into practice, and this is something we try to do at The Winsome Conviction Project. On today’s episode, Tim and Rick talk about a recent praxis experience involving two religious universities. This spring, Biola University hosted faculty and students from Brigham Young University for a series of constructive dialogues on points of agreement and disagreement between Christianity and Mormonism. Tim and Rick discuss three ways the dialogues were impactful, and they ...
May 11, 2026•35 min•Ep. 148
The spiritual disciplines have long been a vital activity in the life of Christians for growing into Christlikeness. It is also a significant challenge to practice these disciplines in the everyday hustle and bustle of life. And yet the disciplines can serve as a helpful method of training for learning to depend on the indwelling Holy Spirit who helps us to abide and grow in our relationship with God and with others. Rev. Dr. Todd Pickett (Ph.D.) is back on the podcast to speak with Tim and Rick...
Apr 27, 2026•30 min•Ep. 147
Friend and New Testament scholar Doug Huffman (Ph.D.) joins today’s episode to speak with Tim and Rick about his work as a consultant on a wildly popular television series, The Chosen . They discuss the fictive portions of the series and consider these in light of the historical gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. They reflect on questions including, What does the television series portray really well? Why does The Chosen stir up agitation and anger among some Christians? Do controversi...
Apr 13, 2026•56 min•Ep. 146
Coach and Dr. Ed Uszynski (Ph.D.) is back on the podcast to speak with Tim and Mike about the current state of things in youth sports, and they spotlight what’s going on with the parents. Why do parents get embarrassed when their child makes a mistake on the field? Is a parent justified in getting angry when a referee’s call doesn’t go their way? Can parents approach youth sports as an opportunity for spiritual formation and invite God into the game? Today’s conversation explores these questions...
Mar 30, 2026•35 min•Ep. 145
Is social media the new public square? If it is, when so much anger exists online and social media incentives bad behavior, is it possible to have civil discourse? And what does Christian witness look like when buttons get pushed and the discussion becomes divisive? Today’s guest knows a thing or two about these questions. Dr. Sean McDowell (Ph.D.) joins today’s podcast to speak with Tim and Rick about having public discourse online. Sean talks about his vision for his YouTube channel and how he...
Mar 16, 2026•33 min•Ep. 144
We long for a life characterized by goodness, beauty, and kindness, but the fractures and hostility in our world get in the way. What can we do? On today’s episode, pastor and author Rich Villodas speaks with Tim about some of these themes in his book, Good and Beautiful and Kind . They discuss the role of empathy and the slippery slope of emotional engagement, the danger of depersonalization and the reality of supernatural battle, recall how Jesus would meet people where they are when speaking ...
Mar 02, 2026•32 min•Ep. 143
Mean-spiritedness and vitriol are contributing to the breakdown in our contemporary discourse, and tactics expressive of affective polarization, where disagreements on policies devolve into bitterness and hatred toward people with whom we disagree, are all too tempting for Christians. And yet, aren’t Christians called to a different way, a different manner of public engagement? On today’s episode, Steve Porter (Ph.D.) speaks with Rick on the role of spiritual formation for shaping how we work in...
Feb 16, 2026•30 min•Ep. 142
The crisis in higher education highlights the vital role of faith-based institutions within the broader educational landscape and the value these institutions provide to society at large. By integrating rigorous academics with religious identity, faith-based universities are poised to address a meaningful, purpose-driven education. Today’s episode is a live recording of a discussion that took place this past December at Biola University with Dr. Barry Corey (Ph.D.), President of Biola University...
Feb 02, 2026•38 min•Ep. 141
In the biblical wisdom literature, Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” This is sound wisdom, but this bit of advice can often seem irrelevant in matters of church quarreling and cultural rage. And yet, formation in civility, both for the health of the Church and for broader cultural engagement, is crucial. On today’s podcast, Rick and Tim speak with Rev. Dr. Todd Pickett (Ph.D.) on the role of spiritual formation in matters of civility and...
Jan 19, 2026•31 min•Ep. 140
Over the past decade, there have been rallying cries among supporters of youth sport “to fix” youth sports. One reason youth sports is not working so well is the apparent and increasing incivility at games and sporting events. Today’s guest thinks Christian parents can do better. Ed Uszynksi (Ph.D.) recently co-authored a book, Away Game: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Navigating Youth Sports , and it’s is sure to be a helpful resource for Christian parents who seek to demonstrate good sportsmans...
Jan 05, 2026•29 min•Ep. 139
The biblical call to “love your neighbor” is one of Christianity’s most profound and challenging practices, especially in today’s argument culture. On today’s episode, Tim speaks with professors Katherine Douglass (Ph.D.) and Brittany Tausen (Ph.D.) on their forthcoming book, Love Your Neighbor: How Psychology Can Enliven Faith and Transform Community (released on January 15, 2026), in which they wed insights from social psychology and practical theology to empower loving one’s neighbor. Drawing...
Dec 22, 2025•39 min•Ep. 138
The Christian faith should shape and enliven our ordinary, day-to-day activities. But it can be difficult to drum up things to do that are public, practical, and powerful. Tim speaks with J.D. Greear, pastor of Summit Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and author of recently released, Everyday Revolutionary , on a theology of place. They look to the book of Acts and the ministry of Jesus to draw out some everyday activities Christians can take up to reclaim loving one’s neighbor in our current c...
Dec 08, 2025•20 min•Ep. 137
How do we transcend the culture war and transform the world with the good news of Jesus Christ? J.D. Greear, pastor of Summit Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and author of recently released, Everyday Revolutionary , is on today’s episode to speak with Tim about this question. They draw from the biblical example of Daniel as a model for how we might think about Christian influence in our current cultural moment. J.D. spends time unpacking a call to “live quietly but testify loudly” and what th...
Nov 24, 2025•30 min•Ep. 136
In the abortion debates, what does a win look like? On today’s episode, Tim speaks with Julia Hejduk (Ph.D.) on abortion and civility. They consider “the sacred core” of pro-choice and pro-life groups, the importance of having a telos, some important communication strategies for addressing conflict, and they also draw from resources in Christianity to consider what might be a worthy goal in these longstanding, contentious debates. Show notes and a full transcript are available ....
Nov 10, 2025•35 min•Ep. 135
Are there some topics and issues where we just can’t have a winsome conversation? For many listeners, abortion is likely high on the list. It often seems impossible to find common ground between being pro-choice and being pro-life. Today on the podcast, Tim is joined by Dr. Julia Hejduk (Ph.D.), a professor of Classics at Baylor University. Julia speaks with Tim about the work she has been doing and the friendships that have come about as she seeks to be a bridge-builder on this contentious, mor...
Oct 27, 2025•43 min•Ep. 134
Last year, five months after the terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7th, Simon Greer, a Jewish leader and social entrepreneur, assembled a diverse team of scholars and activists - pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and atheist, to study the Israel-Palestine conflict from the ground up. The group spent 10 days traveling through the region to hear from local leaders what has spurred this centuries old conflict. The goal was not to resolve the conflict, but to glean prin...
Oct 13, 2025•37 min•Ep. 133
Simon Greer, a Jewish leader, social entrepreneur, and founder of Bridging the Gap , and Saad Soliman, a Muslim entrepreneur and justice reform advocate, could be enemies. A generation ago, members of their families were trying to kill each other in the Six-Day war. Simon’s uncles fought for Israel in 1967, while Saad’s uncles died fighting for Egypt in that same war. And yet, after meeting at a justice event for formerly incarcerated individuals, Simon and Saad made a choice to work together to...
Sep 29, 2025•38 min•Ep. 132
On today’s episode, Tim speaks with psychologists Liz Hall (Ph.D.) and Erin Smith (Ph.D.) on the virtue of intellectual humility and the importance of this virtue for addressing biases and in helping with our consumption of social media. Through the course of the discussion, they address the following questions: What is intellectual humility? Do Christians have a responsibility to be intellectually humble? And drawing from resources in the Christian faith, how might we practice this important vi...
Sep 15, 2025•35 min•Ep. 131
Dr. Ed Uszynski (Ph.D.) is back on the podcast to speak with Tim about a provocative cultural moment: when Max Lucado issued an apology to a multi-ethnic church in San Antonio, TX, following the death of George Floyd. The incident received mixed responses, positively received as being an act of racial reconciliation to being negatively critiqued as an act of bowing to the woke mob. So, Tim and Ed practice perspective-taking in order to understand these differing responses, and they explore some ...
Sep 01, 2025•36 min•Ep. 130
Psychologists Liz Hall (Ph.D.) and Erin Smith (Ph.D.) are back on the podcast to speak with Tim about myside bias, a prevalent phenomenon that also goes by the name of confirmation bias. While myside bias has been around for awhile, cultural conditions seem to to be exacerbating this type of bias. What cost does myside bias exact on our critical thinking, disagreements, and relationships with others? Tim, Liz, and Erin explore these issues and questions and unpack key terms related to myside bia...
Aug 18, 2025•32 min•Ep. 129
On today’s episode, we’re practicing perspective-taking on the topic of Critical Race Theory (CRT), and we’re getting some help from Dr. Ed Uszynski (Ph.D.). Ed’s book, Untangling Critical Race Theory: What Christians Need To Know And Why It Matters , is an excellent resource on this subject, and it helps the church to frame conversations on race relations and critical race theory. Tim and Ed discuss key terms that are often misunderstood: critical theory, critical race theory, and white privile...
Aug 04, 2025•46 min•Ep. 128
On today’s episode, Tim speaks with psychologists Liz Hall (Ph.D.) and Erin Smith (Ph.D.) on how emotions shape perspectives on science, including new scientific technologies. Hall and Smith point to research that indicates emotions are some of the main features causing problems in dialogues between science and religious beliefs and values, and gaining understanding around emotions might help to address some of the uneasy tensions Christian experience between faith and controversial scientific t...
Jul 21, 2025•36 min•Ep. 127
Tim Milosch (Ph.D.) joins today’s episode for another edition of Report From The Front, conversations with people who are doing it right, to speak with Tim and Rick about his work with Braver Angels , a non-profit dedicated to political depolarization. They discuss the function and benefits of parliamentary procedure - What is it? How to practice it? They discuss how roles like “the chair” and having established boundaries help to diffuse the heat when a disagreement gets combative, and they con...
Jul 07, 2025•24 min•Ep. 126
How do friends who hold differing views of religion and faith maintain a friendship? How do friends handle central and fundamental disagreements about God and faith? On today’s episode, Tim speaks with two such friends - Andrew Reid, professor at Brigham Young University, and Greg Johnson, founder of Standing Together, a bridge-building ministry focused on LDS/Evangelical dialogues. Over the course of 11 years, Andrew and Greg have cultivated a friendship around interfaith dialogue that is intri...
Jun 23, 2025•32 min•Ep. 125
Undergraduate students have a thirst for interfaith conversations. So this past spring professors and students from Brigham Young University traveled to Southern California to engage in meaningful conversations and build relationships with professors and students from Biola University. On today’s episode, Tim speaks with Andy Reid, associate professor of religious understanding and church history at BYU, and Greg Johnson, a pastor and the founder of Standing Together ministries, a bridge-buildin...
Jun 09, 2025•30 min•Ep. 124
On today’s episode, political commentator, author, and attorney Denise Gitsham speaks with Tim about some major themes in her book, Politics for People Who Hate Politics . Through a series of personal anecdotes and stories, they discuss some of the challenges to being winsome and loving in our current political climate, especially when you’re being steamrolled by the opposition. They discuss the frequency of offense and the spiritual battle that can accompany offense, and they unpack an interest...
May 26, 2025•34 min•Ep. 123
On today’s episode, Tim speaks with Michael Wear, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life and author of the book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life , on features of Christian faithfulness and civic engagement. Michael talks about his role as a faith advisor in the White House during the Obama administration, and they discuss the influence of Dallas Willard and the role of spiritual formation in the context of political life...
May 12, 2025•31 min•Ep. 122
Stephen Lloyd-Moffett, professor of Religious Studies at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA, is also a campus moderator for the Veritas Forum, a non-profit organization that seeks to help students on college campuses explore truth in dialogue across religious beliefs. On today's episode, Tim, Rick and Stephen consider: What makes for a good moderator when disagreement pops up? And how do you keep the relationship in tact when a pointed and meaningful disagreement occu...
Apr 28, 2025•31 min•Ep. 121
On today’s episode, Stephen Lloyd-Moffett, professor of Religious Studies at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA, speaks with Tim and Rick about the deeply human tendency to search for meaning in religious experience. Stephen shares a story from his younger years that would set him off on a vocational path of religious scholarship. The three then spend time discussing whether God can be found and whether we can know God - important questions that invite points of agree...
Apr 14, 2025•40 min•Ep. 120
