Faith Matters

Terryl Givens, scholar and author on Mormon theology and literature, reflects on W.H. Vanstone’s The Stature of Waiting. He explores divine vulnerability, the shift from acting to being acted upon in Jesus’s passion, and how waiting dignifies dependency. Short, thoughtful conversations consider love’s cost, reconciliation, and inhabiting seasons of helplessness.

Pete Davis, author who writes about commitment and community, and Seth Kaplan, analyst focused on neighborhood repair and civic institutions. They explore declining face-to-face ties, the cultural fear of commitment, stories of community-building like transforming vacant lots, and practical steps for rebuilding local neighborhoods.

Riley Risto, director of Latter-day Saint Peace Studies and lifelong scripture student, centers his faith on Jesus and nonviolence. He describes reading the Bible through a cruciform lens. Short takes explore René Girard’s scapegoat theory, wrestling with divine violence in stories like Noah and Laban, and what it means to take Christ’s name seriously in life and justice.

James Rees, an artist and educator who studies creativity and visual journaling, and Lisa Valentine Clark, a comedian and improviser who turns performance into resilience practice. They discuss creativity as a spiritual way of living. They explore improvisation’s “yes, and” principle, vulnerability over perfection, ritual and structure as creative scaffolding, and practical practices like journaling and playful collaboration.

Tucker Boyle, a longtime seminary teacher and founder of Harmony Road Retreats, shares his journey through a shattering doctoral-era doubt into a more spacious, mature faith. He talks about his research that cracked black-and-white beliefs, a profound healing moment, meditation and nervous-system practices, and building supportive retreats and resources for people navigating similar spiritual wrestles.

A historian revisits the original meaning of faith as trust and entrustedness in ancient Christian and Roman life. The conversation traces how communal, family-style trust gave way to creed-centered belief. They explore everyday uses of pistis, mutual trust between God and people, and what is lost when faith becomes primarily doctrinal.

Bruce Tift, author and psychotherapist who blends Vajrayana Buddhism with Western therapy, joins to explore inner freedom. He contrasts self-improvement with awareness-based freedom. He maps how childhood survival strategies shape adult life. He offers practice-focused ways to sit with vulnerability, track panic in the body, and ride emotional waves toward greater presence.

Terryl Givens, a scholar of religion and literature known for his work on Mormon studies, offers a literary and historical reading of the Old Testament. He explores multiple authorship and textual tension. He discusses translation choices, genres like psalms and law, and how to study scripture with humility, reverence, and scholarly tools.

Heather Sundahl, a marriage and family therapist who studies boundaries and vulnerability, and Katie Ludlow Rich, a writer and scholar of Mormon women’s history, discuss Exponent II’s 50-year history. They trace its roots to the Woman’s Exponent, show how print and retreats made room for messy conversation, and explore staying in relationship across differences with curiosity, listening, and neighborliness.

Jeff Strong, author and researcher of Latter-day Saint culture, presents findings from a large survey and a new framework of spiritual segments. He explores how differing faith experiences create tension, whether the church is for the faithful or for all, and how fear and culture shape responses to difference. Short stories and vivid metaphors illustrate paths toward belonging, humility, and love.