Good Faith

Andy Crouch, author and cultural commentator focused on technology and human flourishing, discusses AI’s impact on relationships and what it means to be human. He probes whether AI will deepen or replace real connection. Short takes cover practical steps for embodied community, the difference between prediction and prophecy, and Christian responsibilities in shaping redemptive technology.

John Swinton, theologian and former nurse known for work on disability and dementia theology, appears and inspires reflections on personhood. The conversation touches on caregiving sacrifices, worship and new ways of connecting, and the idea that being remembered by God grounds identity beyond memory. Short, tender stories illustrate presence and dignity amid cognitive change.

Katelyn Beaty, author and journalist who studies evangelical culture, critiques how persona and platforms reshape Christian life. She discusses persona versus fame, the shift from embodied relationships to content-first platforms, platform temptations for leaders, megachurch limits, and how AI might detach teaching from real community. Short, sharp, and provocative takes on faith, publicity, and belonging.

Francis Collins, physician-geneticist who led the Human Genome Project and founded BioLogos, and Kristine Torjesen, scientist and BioLogos CEO bridging Christian faith with public health, discuss political attacks on science. They talk about shutdowns of HIV programs, vaccine distrust, cuts to research and pandemic preparedness, and how to engage Christians who are skeptical of science.

Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine and author on literature and faith, discusses Leif Enger’s I Cheerfully Refuse. She explores Enger’s hopeful take on apocalypse, why novels still matter more than fleeting media, and practical practices—bookstores, music, nature, friendship—that sustain joyful resistance in dark times.

David French, NYT columnist and constitutional commentator, weighs in on the U.S. war with Iran and the moral limits of presidential power. He breaks down just war theory versus legal authority. Short takes cover congressional abdication, strategic risks of escalation, evangelical views on Israel, and the danger of widening conflict.

Dave Evans, co-founder of the Stanford Life Design Lab and author on applying design thinking to life, offers a fresh take on meaning. He discusses design moves like radical acceptance, the balance of flow, rethinking impact-driven striving, grief made real, and practical starter practices to live with more presence and coherence now.

A communal time of prayer responding to real requests about hope, reconciliation, and suffering. Moments of guided silence invite listeners to surrender outcomes and offer wordless longings. Themes include family healing, coping with hopelessness, and praying for those in danger.

Brian Webb, Director of Sustainability at the College of Wooster and longtime higher-ed sustainability educator, blends outdoor experience with Christian theology to mobilize institutions on creation care. He links climate impacts to human suffering worldwide and at home. Conversation covers institutional action, measuring progress, missionaries as trusted messengers, and cultivating stubborn optimism for faithful, collective climate work.

Taualo Penivao, General Secretary of the Christian Church of Tuvalu and theologian, gives a firsthand account of life on low-lying Tuvalu. He describes daily reliance on the sea, saltwater damage to crops and reefs, and scientific warnings about land loss. He discusses tough choices between cultural attachment, migration to places like Australia, and technical land-reclamation plans.