Russell’s conversation with Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute).

Over the next few weeks, the Russell Moore Show is digging into the archives and bringing back some of our favorite conversations.

This inaugural “best of” episode from May of 2023 is with Rainn Wilson, best known as Dwight Schrute from the TV series, The Office, who utters this phrase: “Whenever I’m about to do something, I think ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.”

In an age of cultural division and religious disagreement, many people feel that talking to someone with a different perspective on faith is, well, something an idiot would do. But Rainn Wilson disagrees: he’s fascinated by spirituality, generally. In fact, he’s the cofounder of SoulPancake, which develops content rooted in human connection (remember Kid President?), and the author of the book Soul Boom.

Though Russell and Rainn have genuine disagreements, the conversation is respectful, and ultimately covers pop culture depictions of religion, Wilson’s upbringing in the Baháʼí Faith, and what it was like to skyrocket from relative obscurity to fame. They talk about trying to discuss religion in Hollywood, what transcendence means, and whether or not the longing for justice points to a judgment day.

Resources discussed during this episode include:

Soul Pancake
Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss
Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution by Rainn Wilson
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

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