In an interview with David Brooks, Molly Worthen characterized both herself and Brooks as 'overly educated, slightly nerdy, late-in-life converts.'

Just 5 years ago, after conversations with Pastor J.D. Greear and Tim Keller, Worthen felt compelled to examine the evidence for Jesus. What she discovered forced her to change the direction of her entire life.

This episode of Beneath The Headlines tells her story.

We'll also unpack her latest book Spellbound — a history of how Charisma has affected American society from the Puritans to the present day.

Molly Worthen is professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a freelance journalist. She lectures widely on religion and politics and teaches courses on North American religious and intellectual culture, global Christianity, and the history of ideas. She writes about religion, politics, and higher education for The New York Times and has also contributed to The New Yorker, Slate, The American Prospect, Foreign Policy, and other publications. She is the author of Spellbound, Apostles of Reason and The Man On Whom Nothing Was Lost. You can learn more about her work on her website.

Mike is the author of The Friday Update, a weekly newsletter that combines cultural insight with Biblical wisdom. Subscribe here.

Beneath The Headlines is a Lakelight Institute production.

Thoughts? Guest Suggestions? email us at info@lakelightinstitute.com

Molly Worthen's Conversion and America's Passion for Spellbinding Charisma