In Good Faith

Dr. Najeeba Syeed discusses how peacebuilding and lived religion unify us and how they're crucial to a democratic society. Najeeba Syeed is the inaugural El-Hibri endowed chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg University in Minneapolis MN. She co-edited the book “Critical Approaches to Interreligious Education,” and she’s been feature in the Los Angeles Times, or NPR, PBS, and other television shows, and she lectures at major universities across the US.

Ellen Skrmetti talks to Steve about her faith, her family, and the way humor has helped her navigate life's challenges. Ellen Skrmetti is the comic talent behind “Hey Jesus, It’s Me”--Instagram sketches about a middle-aged, southern-woman’s opinions on mamas, menopause, and menus. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Ellen has trained with Second City and tours as a stand-up comedian. She has recently published her story in a new book, called Hey Jesus It’s Me.

This episode  is a conversation about suicide and ways to prevent it. We know this can be a difficult topic, so please take care while listening. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, you can call or text 988 in the US or visit 988lifeline.org for free, confidential help anytime. -------- Jacob Coyne shares how his ministry StayHereLive is transforming lives through suicide prevention and faith. He speaks powerfully about how community can make a difference. Jacob Coyne is a preacher, a Christian content creator, and the founder of Stay Here, a mental health organization that raises awareness through bold and encouraging messaging and equips others to save lives from suicide. He and his wife, Mariah, have three daughters and live in east Tennessee.

We'll be back with more episodes of In Good Faith on Sept 7, bit for now here's a taste of Take a Leap, our faith & spirituality show that we spun off with the work and commitment of IGF student producers. Take A Leap hosts talk to you people of faith who are changing the world. Please share with a young person in your life.

In Good Faith returns with new episodes Sept 7. Until then, join Voiceover for a discussion with director Morgan Atkinson about his recent documentary about the Ursuline convent in Louisville, KY, or as Morgan puts it, "a clear-eyed look at many faith-filled lives and one in particular." You can follow and subscribe to Voiceover on Apple, Spotify, or the BYUradio app. Share with the movie lover in your life.

Haroon Moghul has a new podcast, Avenue M, which he co-hosts with Joey Taylor. They're two men on a shared journey of faith and meaning. Through their podcast and future projects, they hope to make deeper conversations about principles, pluralism, and parenting accessible to a wider audience. Here at IGF, we thought you'd enjoy this conversation with Richard Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It. Haroon has taught religion, culture and philosophy on five continents. A one-time stand up comic in New York City (literally, just that one time), award-winning journalist and opinion columnist, Haroon’s been published by The New York Times, NPR’s Fresh Air, CNN, NBC News, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, and many others. Haroon was originally a guest on In Good Faith in 2023, speaking about his book Two Billion Caliphs. Co-host Joey Taylor is the Director of Bespoken Live, turning storytelling into a sacred art of connection. From Beirut to Mombasa, Joey’s interfaith work has taken him across cultures, to facilitate conversations in religious communities, prisons, and Zoom rooms—teaching world religions, designing peace trainings, and producing podcasts all based in a steady belief that stories can bridge any divide.

Here's a bonus episode for our podcast listeners: a feed drop from Meli Solomon's Living Our Beliefs podcast. Meli hosted a multi-faith panel discussion on religious weddings, which she taped in the In Good Faith studios with Steve in October 2024. We thought our listeners would enjoy this discussion between Jewish, Muslim, Bahai, and Latter-day Saint guests. You can check out Meli's show here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-our-beliefs-exploring-faith-religion-in-daily-life/id1585683129

A special episode for our podcast listeners! Steve speaks with Manuela Oja de Tzep, a native K’iché from Nahuala, Solola Guatemala, and Malcolm Botto, Associate Director of International Study Programs K’iché instructor at BYU, about their experience with the Popol Vuh. They're also joined by Malcolm Botto, the Associate Director of International Study Programs at BYU. He has also taught K’iché at BYU for over 15 years. He holds a BA in Lingusitcs and Anthropology and a Masters in Mass Communication and Media Studies from BYU.

Allen Christenson shares his experience translating the Popol Vuh, a sacred Mayan text. Allen Christenson is a Professor in the Department of Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature at Brigham Young University. He is the translator of Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya. He completed a PhD in Pre-Columbian Art History at the University of Texas, Austin. He has worked as an ethnographer and linguist in highland Guatemala since 1978, principally with the K’iché-Maya and Tz’utujil-Maya.

John Canti has translated sacred Buddhist texts for most of his life. He is a founding member of the Padmakara Translation Group, a Tsadra Foundation Fellow from 2001-2012, and was awarded the 2016 Khyentse Foundation Fellowship. In 2009, he was appointed editorial chair of www.84000.co, a translation and publication venture for the Tibetan Buddhist canon, and became senior editor in 2023.