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What Does America's 250th Birthday Mean for Its Future and Our Faith? To celebrate America's 250th birthday, Curtis Chang is joined by his The After Party partners David French and Russell Moore to ask how Christians should think about patriotism, democracy, and national identity in a divisive age. Comparing the optimism of the 1976 Bicentennial with today's fractured political climate, they explore America's founding ideals, the promises and failures of liberty and equality, the relationship between Christianity and the American experiment, and the dangers of Christian nationalism. Together, they answer listener questions and offer a vision for faithful civic engagement — one marked by gratitude without idolatry, honesty without despair, and allegiance to Christ above every nation. 00:34 - Introduction to America's 250th Birthday 02:07 - Comparing the 250th with the Bicentennial 09:18 - America's Gifts to the World 16:16 - Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? 25:13 - The Pull of Christian Nationalism 29:29 - Project 2025 & What True American Renewal Requires 36:07 - A Bottom Up Christian Influence on Government 40:30 - Politics is Downstream from Culture 45:14 - Guidance for Pastors on the 250th 48:24 - America's Historical Role in the World 52:22 - Defining Christian Patriotism 58:03 - A Closing Prayer For Our Country Sign up for The After Party More to Listen to: Good Faith 199 – David French asks: What the Heck Is a Christian Nationalist? Good Faith 181 – Can the Church Resist Political Extremism Again? With Paul D. Miller Good Faith 36 – The Religion of American Greatness Good Faith 207 – N.T. Wright Explains Ephesians: The Church, Christian Nationalism, and the Armor of God Referenced in the Episode: Remembering the American Bicentennial Celebration Remembering Operation Sail Remembering the Miracle on Ice Article: Christian Nationalism's Dark Forebears by David French Ben Rhodes' All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches Jon Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House Legal Philosophy and the Founding Fathers James Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments Who was the minister, Roger Williams? John Locke's influence and Christian faith & legal philosophy of the American founding The story of Thomas Jefferson & Rev. John Leland Understanding Frederick Douglass and the Constitution Article: How Viktor Orbán's Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free Markets PEPFAR: President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Who is Freddy, the German? Scriptures Referenced: 1 Timothy 2:1–6 (ESV) John 18:36 (ESV) Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV) Micah 6:8 (ESV) Luke 3:12–14 (ESV) Philippians 3:20 (ESV) More From David French: David French's New York Times pieces <...

How Are Protestants Navigating a Moral and Spiritual Vacuum in Evangelicalism? Host Curtis Chang talks with former White House staffer and Atlantic columnist Pete Wehner about why Pope Leo XIV is resonating with Protestants and evangelicals despite historic theological divides. Together, they explore the Pope's moral leadership while contrasting his dignified, intellectually grounded public witness with Donald Trump's increasingly erratic influence on evangelical political culture. The conversation examines a perceived spiritual leadership vacuum within Protestantism and calls pastors, congregations, and followers of Jesus to cultivate beauty, goodness, and truth as a long-term path toward renewing Christian public witness. 00:34 - Introduction to Pope Leo XIV's Influence 02:29 - Is There a Protestant Appreciation for Catholicism? 03:59 - What Is This Pope's Impact on Public Theology? 06:06 - Papal Influence in Past Administrations 11:19 - The Collapse of Evangelical Public Theology 14:18 - Can Protestants Still Exert Moral Influence? 21:16 - The "Mad King" and Trump's Cognitive Decline 28:42 - What Can Pastors Do? 32:00 - The Importance of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth 37:08 - What Is The Pope's Transcendent Influence? Sign up for the Anxiety Opportunity Course Use the code: Goodfaith Sign up for The After Party Sign up for The Good List Referenced in the Episode: Pete Wehner's article "The American Pope vs. the American President" Pete Wehner's article "The Apotheosis of Donald Trump" Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical Letter: Magnifica Humanitas The Madness of King George (YouTube free with ads) David Bentley Hart's The Beauty of the Infinite Wordsworth's The Prelude, Book 14 Good Faith's course: The After Party Scriptures Referenced: 1 Timothy 3 (ESV) Titus 1 (ESV) Protestant and Catholic Leaders Referenced: Pope John Paul II Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Reinhold Niebuhr C.S. Lewis Billy Graham Dietrich Bonhoeffer John Stott Karl Barth Oliver O'Donovan Rowan Williams Dr. Tim Keller More from Pete Wehner: Pete Wehner's articles at The Atlantic Pete Wehner's opinion pieces at The New York Times Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

How Can Freedom, Faith, and the Fight Beyond A Holiday Shape Us? Host Curtis Chang talks with sociologist Dr. Angel Adams Parham about the history of Juneteenth, from the 1865 emancipation announcement in Galveston, Texas, to its meaning for American freedom, racial justice, and collective memory. Together, they explore the spiritual resilience of the Black church, its influence on Christian theology and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and why Juneteenth matters for all Americans. They also consider how Christians can celebrate Juneteenth with both joy and historical honesty. 02:05 - The Historical Story of Juneteenth 05:11 - What Were the Limitations of the Emancipation Proclamation? 09:28 - An American Pattern of Incomplete Freedom 13:34 - How Do We Preserve the Meaning of Juneteenth? 19:24 - The Pain of Historical Erasure & Cultural Setbacks 23:43 - Scripture as a Freedom Narrative Fostering Resilience 29:22 - The Universal Longing To Be Free 32:06 - The Black Church's Contribution to the Christian Story 35:54 - Embodied Practices for Juneteenth 39:09 - The Spiritual Promise of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" Register for our America 250 episode recording with Russell Moore and David French Sign up for the Anxiety Opportunity Course Use the code: Goodfaith Referenced in the Episode: Transcript of The Emancipation Proclamation Union General Gordon Granger's announcement: General Order No. 3 Claude Atcho's Reading Black Books Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" (pdf) Transcription of an interview with ex-slave Felix Haywood Reggie L. Williams' Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus Phillis Wheatley's letter to Rev. Samson Occom James Weldon Johnson's poem Lift Every Voice and Sing Manhattan Harmony Four's recording Lift Every Voice And Sing The Fisk University Quartet's Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Scriptures Referenced: Exodus 12:31–15:21 (ESV) Isaiah 61 (ESV) Leviticus 25 (ESV) Luke 4:14–30 (ESV) More From Dr. Angel Adams Parham: Dr. Parham's bio: the University of Virginia Dr. Parham's Website Dr. Parham's book The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

What does it mean to stay fully human in the age of AI? Host Curtis Chang sits down with Pulitzer Prize finalist and acclaimed technology critic Nicholas Carr to explore how AI, social media, and digital life are reshaping human attention, identity, education, and spiritual formation. Carr warns that technologies promising efficiency often erode the embodied presence, deep thinking, struggle, and meaningful friction that make us fully human. Together, Curtis and Nicholas uncover surprising common ground in the urgent work of preserving human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence. 00:37 - Introduction to Nicholas Carr and His work 03:52 - What Is Technology's Social Impact 04:03 - Disembodied Communication and Negative Emotions 05:27 - What It Means to Be Truly Human 11:32 - Information vs. Formation 14:38 - Why Is AI So Unsettling? 18:54 - Stop Rushing the Adoption of AI in Education 22:02 - AI and the Erosion of the Self 25:08 - An Institutional Response to AI 27:36 - Forming the Next Generation 31:10 - Countercultural Imperatives for Leaders Register for our America 250 episode recording with Russell Moore and David French Sign up for the Anxiety Opportunity Course Use the code: Goodfaith Mentioned in This Episode: Nicholas Carr's The Atlantic article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Nicholas Carr's The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains Nicholas Carr's Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation Vatican document on AI, Antiqua et Nova The Christian Scholars' Conference at Pepperdine University More From Nicholas Carr: Nicholas Carr's website Nicholas Carr's Substack: New Cartographies Nichoals Carr's blog: Rough Type Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Have You Ever Met a Secular Professor Who Became a Christian? In this episode of Good Faith, Curtis Chang talks with historian and UNC professor Molly Worthen about her surprising journey from secular skeptic to Christian believer—and what her story reveals about faith, doubt, college, and perceived crises in higher education. They explore why so many Christian students struggle with faith on secular campuses, how parents can help college-bound kids find mentors and community, and how Christian study centers are creating spaces for honest questions, intellectual formation, and spiritual growth. Molly also explains why the search for meaning in the age of AI may open new doors for Christian faith to thrive. 02:58 - Professor Molly Worthen Describes Her Faith Journey 06:22 - Is The Resurrection a Historical Truth? 10:23 - Molly's Leap of Faith Was Intellectual 11:25 - Why Do Students Leave Church in College? 13:48 - The Role of Christian Study Centers 19:49 - Students Seeking Mentorship 25:41 - Faith, Politics, and Crisis of Meaning 29:43 - The Timeless Questions of Faith Are Still the Dominant Ones 31:14 - What's The Professional Cost of Being a Public Christian on Campus? 34:01 - Can You Have a Healthy Relationship With Doubt? 39:28 - Advice for Parents of College-Bound Students More about the Consortium of Christian Study Centers More about the North Carolina Study Center Register for our America 250 episode recording with Russell Moore and David French Mentioned in This Episode: Molly Worthen's Spellbound LifeWay Research: Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church as Young Adults Tim Keller's The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism More From Molly Worthen: Molly Worthen's faculty page at UNC Molly Worthen's website Molly Worthen's Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Are Aliens Demons, Our Cosmic Neighbors, or Something Stranger? Host Curtis Chang and author Andy Crouch explore the theological implications of UFOs, extraterrestrial life, and the possibility that humans are not the only created beings in the cosmos. They ask whether aliens should be understood as material creatures, angels and demons, image bearers, or cosmic neighbors—and what Scripture, Christian theology, and even Aquinas suggest about our human uniqueness. Along the way, they consider whether first contact would reveal Christian love, humility, and wonder—or our instinct toward fear and domination. 00:47 - Introduction to Alien Life and Declassified UFO Reports 02:19 - Do Aliens Exist? 08:32 - The Value of Pondering Alien Life 13:02 - Aliens vs. Angels and Demons 23:18 - God's Mysterious Creatures in Scripture 27:42 - The Octopus Dilemma and Human Specialness 38:26 - Missional Work and Alien Life? 44:26 - The Nature of God's Love 48:49 - Domination or Love : The Human Response to Aliens 50:58 - Andy Imagines Worshipping with Cosmic Neighbors Turn on Apple Podcasts Automatic Downloads: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Apps, then tap Podcasts. Tap Automatically Download, then tap an option. Tip: To automatically download episodes from a particular podcast, go to the Podcasts app on your iPhone, tap Library, then tap Shows. Touch and hold the show, then tap Settings. Tap Automatically Download to limit automatic downloads to a certain number of episodes or a timeframe. Sign up for the Anxiety Opportunity Course Use the code: Goodfaith Scriptures Referenced: Job 1–2 (ESV) Job 38–41 (ESV) Genesis 1–2 (ESV) Genesis 4 (ESV) Ephesians 2 (ESV) 2 Peter 1:4 (ESV) Romans 8 (ESV) Isaiah 11 (ESV) Romans 10 (ESV) Mentioned in This Episode: UFO-related declassified files UAP disclosure Meghan Sullivan and Notre Dame's DELTA project What is the Fermi paradox? Eleanor Stump's Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering C.S. Lewis's Perelandra Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary: A Novel A scene from Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind A scene from Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial A scene from Denis Villeneuve's Arrival St. Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica: reason / will / dominion Salvation as Theosis: The Teaching of Eastern Orthodoxy (article) Isaiah's peaceable kingdom Thunderbird in Native American traditions Do octopus brains work like humans'? (article) Pythagoras and Johannes Kepler's Musica Universalis or the Music of the Spheres More From Andy Crouch: Check out Andy's website Check out Andy's work at <a st...

Is Mortality the Enemy of a Meaningful Life? Curtis Chang sits down with psychologist Dr. Dan Allender for a searching conversation about aging, mortality, Christian hope, and the surprising freedom of growing older. Together, they explore why getting older is not merely decline, but an invitation to deeper purpose, tenderness, grace, and wisdom—especially in a culture determined to deny death. From caring for aging parents to reimagining retirement, Dan and Curtis offer biblical insight and personal honesty for anyone seeking renewed purpose, peace, and courage as we grow older. 00:43 - Introduction to Aging Well Spiritually, Not Physically 03:25 - Psalm 90 and When to Start Thinking About Age? 05:40- Why Does Our Culture Avoid Aging? 09:52 - Are There Gifts in Getting Older? 19:10 - Counting Your Days: A Biblical Perspective 25:05- Psalm 92: The Righteous Stay Vital By Serving Others 29:14 - The Problem with Retirement Culture 34:32 - What About the "Sandwich Generation"? 40:55 - Our Inner Emotional Age 44:45 - The Power of Story From Lives Well Lived 50:20 - Tending to Your Past Selves Please Enjoy the Reading Guide for This Episode: https://bit.ly/danallenderreadalong Turn on Apple Podcasts Automatic Downloads: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Apps, then tap Podcasts. Tap Automatically Download, then tap an option. Tip: To automatically download episodes from a particular podcast, go to the Podcasts app on your iPhone, tap Library, then tap Shows. Touch and hold the show, then tap Settings. Tap Automatically Download to limit automatic downloads to a certain number of episodes or a timeframe. Sign up for The After Party Informational Webinars Sign up for The Good List Scriptures Referenced: Psalm 90:12 (all versions) Psalm 92:14 (all versions) Genesis 16 (ESV) Hebrews 4:11 (all versions) Mentioned in This Episode: Dylan Thomas's Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night Good Faith podcast episode 211: Nancy French's Joyful Grandparenting Lessons & Living Like Tomorrow Isn't Guaranteed Schindler's List scene: "I didn't do enough" More From Dan Allender: The Allender Center resources Dan Allender at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology The Allender Center Podcast Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

What Is Spiritual Weariness and How Can We Find Renewal? In this episode of The Good Faith Podcast, Curtis Chang chats with Tish Harrison Warren—Anglican priest, former New York Times columnist, and author of What Grows in Weary Lands—about burnout, spiritual weariness, and the exhaustion that escapism and rest alone cannot fix. Tish explains how polarization, digital distraction, consumerism, and isolation can leave us tempted to "flame out" or "numb out." Instead, she invites listeners to "go deeper" through prayer, silence, embodied community, Sabbath, and the difficult but meaningful commitments that lead to lasting renewal. 00:36 - Introduction to World Weariness 02:43 - Tish Describes the Draining Experience of Public Faith 06:04 - What Are the Cultural Factors of Collective Burnout? 13:01 - Dysfunctional Responses: Reinvention and Escape 15:01 - Flame Out, Numb Out, or Go Deep 20:51 - Are There Practical Steps to Go Deep? 23:29 - The Practice of "Staying in Your Cell" 26:40 - The Tough Sell of Going Deeper 32:07 - The "Dark Night of the Soul" as a Growth Stage 36:11 - Learning from Historic Church Practices 38:04 - What Do Healthy Rhythms of Engagement and Withdrawal Look Like? Sign up for The After Party Informational Webinars Sign up for The Good List Mentioned in This Episode: Tish Harrison Warren's What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience The Ezra Klein Show: Burned Out? Start Here. Curt Thompson on Covid-era digital fatigue Thomas Aquinas's idea of arduous goods St. John of the Cross's The Dark Night of the Soul Stanley Hauerwas: Evangelicalism Will Die of Exhaustion (conversation with Al Mohler) the Desert Fathers and Mothers: "Stay in your cell" More From Tish Harrison Warren: Tish Harrison Warren's website Tish Harrison Warren's New York Times pieces Other books by Tish Harrison Warren Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

What Is Spiritual Weariness and How Can We Find Renewal? In this episode of The Good Faith Podcast, Curtis Chang chats with Tish Harrison Warren—Anglican priest, former New York Times columnist, and author of What Grows in Weary Lands—about burnout, spiritual weariness, and the exhaustion that escapism and rest alone cannot fix. Tish explains how polarization, digital distraction, consumerism, and isolation can leave us tempted to "flame out" or "numb out." Instead, she invites listeners to "go deeper" through prayer, silence, embodied community, Sabbath, and the difficult but meaningful commitments that lead to lasting renewal. 00:36 - Introduction to World Weariness 02:43 - Tish Describes the Draining Experience of Public Faith 06:04 - What Are the Cultural Factors of Collective Burnout? 13:01 - Dysfunctional Responses: Reinvention and Escape 15:01 - Flame Out, Numb Out, or Go Deep 20:51 - Are There Practical Steps to Go Deep? 23:29 - The Practice of "Staying in Your Cell" 26:40 - The Tough Sell of Going Deeper 32:07 - The "Dark Night of the Soul" as a Growth Stage 36:11 - Learning from Historic Church Practices 38:04 - What Do Healthy Rhythms of Engagement and Withdrawal Look Like? Sign up for The After Party Informational Webinars Sign up for The Good List Mentioned in This Episode: Tish Harrison Warren's What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience The Ezra Klein Show: Burned Out? Start Here. Curt Thompson on Covid-era digital fatigue Thomas Aquinas's idea of arduous goods St. John of the Cross's The Dark Night of the Soul Stanley Hauerwas: Evangelicalism Will Die of Exhaustion (conversation with Al Mohler) the Desert Fathers and Mothers: "Stay in your cell" More From Tish Harrison Warren: Tish Harrison Warren's website Tish Harrison Warren's New York Times pieces Other books by Tish Harrison Warren Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

What Can Lead a Weary Soul to the Divine in a Post-Christian World? Malcolm Guite is back for part two of our chat with him, and this time we go from atheism to awe, from the Psalms to the Holy Grail, and from Keats to King Arthur. Malcolm tells the wild story of how poetry cracked open his imagination and shattered his unbelief, leading him into the living presence of God — then shows why Galahad and the Grail might be the ancient, weird, luminous story our burned-out, disenchanted world needs now. 00:00 - The Sonnet Epiphany 1. Magi 01:28 - Introduction to Malcolm Guite Part 2 03:37 - From Atheism to Wonder 06:27 - Encountering Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale" 12:11 - The Augustinian Idea of Beauty 15:18 - You Are Not the Center of the Universe 20:44 - "Take Up the Tale" A Ballad Introducing Guite's Arthurian Epic 23:54 - Why Does Retelling the Arthurian Legends Matter Now? 25:06 - The Truth of the Wasteland in the Modern World 27:19 - Conclusion and Credits Listen to Malcolm Guite pt. 1: Does Theology Need an Imaginative Spark to Grasp God's Mystery? Sign up for The After Party Informational Webinars Mentioned In This Episode: Malcolm Guite's Galahad in the Grail Malcolm Guite's Epiphany 1 The magi Malcolm Guite's Sounding the Seasons C.S. Lewis's Surprised by Joy John Keats' Ode to a Nightingale Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo's The Confessions Of Saint Augustine Scriptures Referenced In This Episode: Psalm 145 (1928 BCP) The Psalms (Coverdale edition) PDF version More from Malcolm Guite: Malcolm Guite's website and blog Malcolm Guite's Youtube channel Malcolm Guite's books Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.