Good Faith

In this first episode in a series on faith and political engagement, we delve into the intersection of anxiety and politics, as Christians navigate the mounting tension of the 2024 election cycle. In an interview conducted by DT Slouffman, Redeeming Babel’s Director of Content, Curtis shares insightful perspectives on how faith can helpfully form our emotional, relational, and church life. If you’re wondering how to navigate the coming months with both hope and humility, this episode is for you! 

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group! 

Join David French,  Russell Moore and Curtis on 4/19/24 in Washington DC for a live day-long version of our After Party course. Learn more & buy tickets here! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-after-party-live-tickets-836892757767?aff=GoodFaithPod

Join the Redeeming Babel Team! https://redeemingbabel.org/we-are-hiring/

Pre-order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French (available on Amazon)

Order The Anxiety Oporrtunity by Curtis Chang (available on Amazon)

Our outer world – our politics, our society, our organizations, even our local community and families  – can be enormously complex and even chaotic at times. How do we make sense of all that happens around us? Author and therapist Alison Cook joins Curtis to explore a key strategy: exploring our inner world. They discuss why grasping our inner complexity is critical to properly understanding our external world. This rich discussion covers the theological reasons for this process, as well as many practical steps on how to get started in this inner journey.

We're having a party and we'd love for our Good Faith listeners to come! We'll be joined by good friends David French and Russell Moore for a live day-long version of our After Party course as we chart a path towards better Christian politics. Learn more & buy tickets here! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-after-party-live-tickets-836892757767?aff=GoodFaithPod

Join the Redeeming Babel Team! https://redeemingbabel.org/we-are-hiring/

Pre-order The After Party Book (available on Amazaon)

Free guided meditation (+ 2 other IFS themed resources)

Article: 7 Ways to Increase Your Support Network and Why It Matters

Podcast Episode: Episode 71: All About Therapy—Do I Need a Therapist, How Do I Find One, and What Type of Therapy Works Best?

New book: I Shouldn't Feel This Way

Boundaries for Your Soul podcast series

Curtis Chang on The Best of You Podcast

40% of all Americans will receive a diagnosis of cancer in their lifetime and practically every adult will know someone who already has. How do we talk about this reality? Nancy French, who recently was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer, joins Curtis to talk about how we talk. In a wide ranging, vulnerable, and candid conversation, Nancy shares about topics like why she doesn’t personally find the “fight cancer” language helpful (even if it might be helpful for others); why people are uncomfortable talking about serious illness; how cancer can be both a horrible and beautiful experience at the same time; and more gems.

The After Party Book - Available for Pre-order Now!

The After Party Conference LIVE! on 4/19/24 in Washington DC - Early Bird Registration Here

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Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag

Why “war on cancer” metaphors may actually harm health (USC Study)

The Anxiety Opportunity by Curtis Chang

Repeated studies show that the current media landscape is worsening polarization and weakening our ability to grasp truth. How do we escape getting trapped in our own “bespoke realities?” This Good Faith episode draws on a recent webinar led by Curtis and David French where they address how Christians can adopt better information habits.

Check out The After Party here

“Welcome to our new ‘Bespoke Realities” by David French (in the New York Times)

How are Christians supposed to think, feel, and act as they walk by a homeless person? As they drive through an impoverished neighborhood and pass by its residents? Our reactions will be strongly influenced by how we answer the question, “Why? Why are these people poor?” To wrestle with this question, Curtis is joined by the leading scholar on American poverty today, Matthew Desmond, author of Poverty, by America. Together, they explore why most Americans are missing the full answer – and the special responsibility of Christians to live out the Biblical answer. 

Send us your stories about how you’re living out “Good Faith” in your everyday life. We want to hear from you and we may reach out to you to be featured in our Campfire Stories! 

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

End Poverty USA

What does the Bible say about poverty? (from World Vision)

The dominant narrative is that Western culture is headed for ever greater levels of atheism, agnosticism, or at least departure from belief in the Christian God. Andy Crouch returns from his sabbatical to question this narrative. He points out that the dominant secular worldview of the West - deterministic, rationalistic, and reductionist - is starting to run on empty. Can this lead to a greater hunger for the Christian God? Curtis and Andy examine what Christians would need to do to meet this hunger, including reexamining our own understanding of the Gospel itself.

The Matter With Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World by Ian McGilchrist

At the Origins of Modern Atheism by Michael J. Buckley

The One, the Three, and the Many: God, Creation, and the Culture of Modernity by Colin Gunton

The ongoing war in Gaza has sent out reverberations in the political, military, and economic spheres. But what about the moral sphere? Curtis is joined by “founding friend” David French to examine the moral aftershocks of Gaza in two disparate spheres: the moral practice of war and the moral practice of free speech at universities. We examine why Christians should care about both spheres, and also uncover the surprising theological similarities between them.

Please leave your review of Good Faith on Apple Podcasts!

“How Gaza is affecting American Jews and Christians” - a Good Faith episode with Rabbi Michael Holzman and David French

AI feels like a tornado that has hit society: unpredictable, powerful, and out of our control. How do we as Christians respond to this force in the world? Curtis is joined by two friends who live and work at the intersection of AI and spiritual reflection: James Cham of Bloomberg Beta and John Kim of the Karamaan Group. Together, the three friends explore how Christians might flip the question from “Where is AI taking us spiritually?” to “Where should Christians take AI?”

Pose your questions to the Good Faith chatbot (BETA)

An AI primer by John Kim (on Medium)

Is AI a religion? (conversation on Bloomberg)

AI: Grappling with a new kind of intelligence (YouTube video from the World Science Festival)

Data, Truth, and AI (a BioLogos podcast)

The Spirituality of Chat GPT (Good Faith episode with Andy Crouch)

American evangelicalism’s pull towards the far right is felt by anyone that comes into contact with the movement. But how did this happen? Who did the pulling? What were the motivations? What were the pre-conditions that made evangelicals so susceptible? With his latest book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, Tim Alberta has written the definitive book that answers these questions. He and Curtis discuss the key types of individuals, the organizations, the strategies, and especially the hidden incentive structures that lie beneath the headlines.  

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta (Harper)

This episode drops on the three year anniversary of the Capitol insurrection of January 6 2021. The event revealed the dangerous nature of Trumpism and political violence. We should be worried about what happened, even today. But the event also presented an opportunity: it contained an invitation from God for all of us, one that applies to our role in our own corner of the world, even today. In this Good Faith Classic (from also two years ago exactly), Curtis and “founding friend” David French unpack this invitation for everyone.

“Founding friend” David French returns to wrap up 2023 (we’re taking a break for a few weeks). He and Curtis look back at the year through the lens of two core spiritual values of The After Party: Humility and Hope. We discuss what happened in 2023 that grew our humility, reminding us of the need to recognize complexity, to grow, and to learn. We also talked up the signs of hope from the year, including many that are hidden or counter-intuitive.

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts for Good Faith

Good Faith episode on the Asbury revival (6/17/2023)

‘The Bear’ and the need for a place to belong by David French (NYT 7/16/2023)

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta

Losing our religion: An altar call for Evangelical America by Russell Moore

Climate change is a major long term threat to our world. Yet, we find very few evangelical Christians voices or mass engagement on this issue. Why this disturbing gap? To explore this question, Curtis is joined by Bruce Huber who teaches about environmental law as Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame. Together, they explore the deep reasons why many Christians struggle even to make proper sense of climate change.

Laudato Si' -- Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical on "Care for our Common Home"

The website of Jonathan Haidt -- see especially "The Righteous Mind"

The website of the IPCC -- the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which acts as a sponsor of and clearinghouse for climate research

An accessible book about carbon taxation, "The Case for a Carbon Tax," by Prof. Shi-Ling Hsu of Florida State University

The wave of immigrants and refugees at the border has filled the news, and will most likely influence the next presidential elections. But what’s really happening there? And how should American Christians make sense of this issue? In the second of two episodes on this topic, Curtis is joined by someone with a unique perspective, Michael Debruhl. Michael is a former agent and executive in the Border Patrol who felt disturbed at the widespread misconceptions on the topic. Upon leaving the agency, he started volunteering at the Sacred Heart Shelter, one of the main church based programs receiving migrants at the border. 

Helpful resources on immigration and the border

Accurate information from The National Immigration Forum (a non-partisan effort at sensible and compassionate reform of our national approach to immigration)

What’s happening at the U.S.-Mexico border in 7 charts from The Pew Research Center

What’s behind the influx of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border? from PBS NewsHour

Public database from the US Customs and Border Protection (the main federal agency overseeing the border)

DONATE to the Sacred Heart Shelter (Casa del Sagrado Corazón) - the shelter directed by guest Michael Debruhl

The wave of immigrants and refugees at the border has filled the news, and will most likely influence the next presidential elections. But what’s really happening there? And how should American Christians make sense of this issue? In the first of two episodes on this topic, Curtis is joined by Bri Stensrud, Director of Women of Welcome, a ministry that helps American evangelical women understand what’s happening at the border in light of Scripture and current reality. They talk about why Christians should care about the border, the common misconceptions in play, and how opening our minds and hearts on this topic changes us.

To make an end of year contribution to the Good Faith podcast, donate online here (https://redeemingbabel.org/donate-to-redeeming-babel/).

For major gifts, donor advised funds, or family foundations, please email us at info@redeemingbabel.org.

• Order Bri's latest book: Start with Welcome

• Learn more about Women of Welcome

• Free resources & Bible studies from Women of Welcome 

• Join the Women of Welcome community online: FB & IG

• Watch the Who is Welcome Here documentary 

• More on World Relief

• More on National Immigration Forum 

• Follow Bri online

On the forced separation policy: 

• The Atlantic on “the secret history” 

• Immigration Forum’s analysis

• Christianity Today’s coverage

• The failure of “zero tolerance” policy

We’re living in a cultural moment where so many people feel unseen and unheard. What if the answer is not some big government or nonprofit program, but rather something as intimate as this: a meaningful conversation. David Brooks joins the podcast to talk about his new book, “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.” He and Curtis discuss the art of connecting with another person, and why our society so deeply needs to revive the skills involved.

To make an end of year contribution to the Good Faith podcast, donate online here (https://redeemingbabel.org/donate-to-redeeming-babel/).

For major gifts, donor advised funds, or family foundations, please email us at info@redeemingbabel.org.

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks

The Gaza crisis has sent out shock waves that extend to America. In this podcast, we explore how different communities and institutions in the US are responding. Rabbi Michael Holzman and David French join Curtis to examine what is happening for Jewish American communities,  college campuses, the progressive movement, American evangelicals, and wider public support for Israel. 

“What it would mean to treat Hamas like ISIS” by David French (NYT)

“The laws of campus culture wars” by David French (NYT)

“The Left abandoned me” by Gal Beckerman (The Atlantic)

“The Decolonization Narrative Is Dangerous and False” by Simon Sebag Montefiore (The Atlantic)

American youth who grew up in Christian families are leaving the church at a massive pace.  Curtis talks with Kara Powell, executive director of The Fuller Youth Institute, about the complex  reasons for this trend - and what can be done. They discuss why any understanding of the causes – and therefore the necessary response – must include parents and churches doing the hard work of self-examination and self-transformation.

To make an end of year contribution to the Good Faith podcast, donate online here (https://redeemingbabel.org/donate-to-redeeming-babel/).

For major gifts, donor advised funds, or family foundations, please email us at info@redeemingbabel.org.

Kara’s Ten x 10 Initiative that seeks to combine efforts to reach the next generation

For resources on preventing and responding to suspected abuse in youth ministry, see GRACE (Godly Responses to Abuse in Christian Environments).

Some churches seek to exploit political controversy for self-serving ends. But many more churches instinctively avoid controversy, and steer away from topics that may reveal differences. In this episode, Curtis is joined by Chuck Mingo to explore a different route: treating this upcoming election season as an opportunity for spiritual growth. They make the case that the same spiritual muscles that get built in politics apply also to marriages, parenting, employment and other areas of discipleship. Curtis and Chuck also talk about the practicalities involved: what should happen on Sunday morning (and what shouldn’t); the top rookie mistakes made when first trying to engage in politics; how the posture of the “wounded healer” is necessary for pastors; and much more.

Find out more about the Undivided course and ministry here.

Pre-order Chuck’s book (written with Troy Jackson), Living Undivided: Loving Courageously for Racial Healing and Justice

In the diagnosis of the epidemic of anxiety sweeping through society, the examination has tended to focus on individual risk factors or macro-social trends (like social media and smartphone adoption among teens). But this misses something going on at the intermediary level between individuals and mass society: the state of the institutions that shape so much of our daily life. Curtis is joined by renowned scholar Yuval Levin in exploring the concept of “the anxious institution.” They make the case that institutions both externally cause and internally experience anxiety in fascinating and important ways.

In a wide ranging conversation, founding friend David French takes over the reins for Curtis Chang and discusses the new book, The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Jim Davis, Michael Graham, and Ryan Burge. David and coauthor Graham discuss all the reasons for “the great dechurching”  with a particular emphasis on the more surprising results, as well as the difficulty reversing the decline in church attendance.

We want to hear your “Campfire Stories” about living out your good faith! Share your stories with us today.

The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Jim Davis, Michael Graham, and Ryan Burge