Created in the Image of God

For many Christians, horror movies sit on the edge of what seems acceptable, if not far beyond it. Josh Larsen believes that boundary is exactly where some of the most important questions can be asked. A veteran film critic and author of Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror, Josh has spent years considering how the genre grapples with fear, evil, and the human longing for deliverance—and why thoughtful engagement with these stories might matter for people of faith.In this episode, he explores the surprising ways horror can echo biblical images and themes, from the terror of the cross to the desperation of the demon‑possessed man called Legion. Rather than dismissing the genre outright, Josh suggests approaching it theologically: paying attention to what horror reveals about isolation, sin, sacrifice, judgment, and the hope of rescue. Along the way, he addresses common concerns believers have about watching horror and offers a framework for discernment rather than simple rejection.The result is a conversation that is both candid and deeply reflective. It invites listeners to reconsider where God might already be at work in the stories culture tells about fear and darkness—and how even the most unsettling images can send us back to the heart of the gospel with fresh eyes. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

For decades, evangelical Christianity shaped America’s spiritual landscape—but today, more and more people find themselves searching beyond the familiar labels. In this episode, Dr. David Gushee—author, ethicist, and trusted voice on faith—examines the rise and unraveling of a movement and the unexpected hope waiting on the other side.Drawing from his years of scholarship and experience, Gushee traces the path from passionate beginnings to painful disillusionment: how political entanglement and division have left many believers wondering if there’s anything left to reclaim. Yet within the loss, he sees signs of life—a post-evangelical movement rooted not in nostalgia, but in the genuine teachings of Jesus: humility, courage, and a deeper commitment to healing and inclusion.This conversation offers perspective for anyone sorting through old questions or longing for a more honest spiritual home. What if letting go is only the beginning? For those willing to start again, the future of faith may be wider, braver, and more connected than ever before. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Raised in the rituals of Catholicism, Julia Strukely found early meaning in scripture, teaching, and community life—yet her deepest growth came when she stepped outside the boundaries she’d always known. Her pursuit of media literacy, curiosity about pop culture, and experience in an ecumenical spiritual direction program taught her that God can’t be contained by any one tradition.In this episode, Julia reflects on what it means to guide others gently along their spiritual path, letting real listening and honest encounter lead the way. She explains how faith becomes more vibrant when it opens to questions, when classrooms turn into sacred spaces, and when each person’s background is an invitation to something deeper rather than a barrier.Her story is a reminder that there’s always room for another perspective, another story around the table—even (or especially) if it’s different from our own. For anyone hoping to widen their understanding of God, or simply to walk the road with greater compassion, Julia’s journey sparks encouragement to take the next step, wherever you are starting. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Most people admire heroic lives from a distance without ever imagining they could live one. Audrey Rindlisbacher began in that same place, reading The Hiding Place while raising small children and simply wanting to be “a family like that” without knowing how. What followed was a deep study of the lives of men and women who seemed extraordinary—and the surprising discovery that they all started as ordinary people with familiar struggles.In this episode, Audrey unpacks the 7 Laws of Life Mission that emerged from her research and experience. She explains why mission doesn’t begin with a grand vision, but with practicing true principles in the middle of everyday challenges: strengthening a marriage, being more present as a parent, facing personal weaknesses with honesty. Over time, those small but consistent choices create the character, clarity, and courage needed for larger impact.This conversation is both grounding and hopeful. It offers a clear path for anyone who senses there is “more” to their life but feels unsure where to begin. Step by step, Audrey shows how starting exactly where you are—doing the next right thing—can quietly lead to a mission‑driven life that blesses others far beyond what you might expect. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

For the first episode of 2025, Wade Fransson welcomes writer and pastor Morgan Guyton for a special New Year’s conversation that goes far beyond ordinary resolutions. Together, they chart a course into what Morgan calls a “New Year’s revolution”—rooted in mercy, courageously using privilege for the good of others, and forging authentic community in the face of division. Their discussion travels from the dynamics of privilege and the call to use our resources for solidarity and support, to the role of worship, the relationship between prophets and priests, and the irreplaceable value of real, personal relationships—especially in a digital age more accustomed to debates than dialogue. With trademark honesty and warmth, Morgan challenges the easy patterns of arguing with strangers online, and instead champions a faith that listens, shows up, and does the hard work of building a culture where people care for each other in tangible ways. Inspired by the wild ride of a true new beginning and laced with practical hope, this conversation invites listeners to make 2025 less about self-improvement and more about collective healing and bold, relational mercy. Whether you’re ready for new adventures or simply hoping to start the year with deeper meaning, Wade and Morgan’s dialogue is the beginning of something that just might last. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

What should we expect from science—and where must we look beyond it? In this episode, Wade Fransson welcomes Alan Lightman for an hour-long journey through the frontiers of knowledge, awe, and responsibility. Drawing on his years as a physicist, novelist, and teacher at MIT, Lightman opens up about the curious intersection where theoretical physics meets philosophy and the search for meaning.The conversation ranges from star-filled nights on a quiet boat to the realities of climate change and the pandemic, exploring how science approaches—and sometimes collides with—the big questions of human existence. Lightman shares candid thoughts about the limits of scientific inquiry: the kinds of questions data can answer, and the mysteries that remain stubbornly outside its grasp. He also addresses the public’s growing skepticism around scientific authority, pointing toward the importance of humility, clear communication, and an honest admission of what we simply don’t know.Listeners will find themselves challenged to rethink “certainty,” and inspired to reclaim a sense of wonder. Whether science is your daily work or a distant headline, Alan Lightman’s perspective offers a refreshing space for doubt, discovery, and genuine curiosity. This episode is a rare reminder that the most important answers start with a willingness to wrestle with questions we cannot solve. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

What if hell isn’t a place beneath our feet—but a metaphor for what we experience inside? In this episode, Wade sits down with David Langness, a Baha’i of 56 years and the editor of Baha’iTeachings.org, to unravel one of religion’s oldest—and most misunderstood—concepts.David explains how the idea of hell has often been used to frighten and control, but the Baha’i writings invite us to see it differently: as a condition of the soul, born from selfishness, ego, and the instincts that pull us away from our higher purpose. The conversation is an honest exploration of what it truly means to “conquer hell”—not by escaping punishment, but by facing our shortcomings, overcoming the animal side of our nature, and striving for something nobler.With wisdom drawn from decades of study and service, David offers a perspective that’s at once challenging and hopeful. Viewers will come away with a new understanding of character, the nature of the self, and the daily practices that enable us to move from darkness to light. If you’re looking for an uplifting yet grounded discussion about human potential and spiritual growth, this episode is not to be missed. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

What does it take for faith traditions with centuries of complicated history to move from uneasy armistice toward genuine peace? In this illuminating episode, theologian Ellen Charry—Emerita Professor of Theology at Princeton—reflects on a lifelong journey that began as a curious Jewish child and transformed her into a bridge-builder between worlds. Ellen is frank about her own story: growing up Jewish, marrying into a rabbinic family, converting to Christianity, and ultimately claiming a unique vantage point from which to sponsor dialogue few are willing to undertake.Now, in the face of rising antisemitism and renewed tensions worldwide, Ellen is working on a peace proposal that moves beyond polite tolerance. Her forthcoming book seeks to reimagine the relationship between Judaism and Christianity not as inherited rivalry, but as a partnership rooted in God’s desire for flourishing, mutual understanding, and shared purpose. She argues that the well-being of creation itself depends on such reconciliation—because wherever division lingers, “creation languishes.”Across this conversation, Ellen charitably examines what it would mean for traditions—not just individuals—to make peace and “share God.” The episode is a testament to hard-won wisdom, honest spirituality, and the hope that old enmities can give way to something radically new. If you care about faith, history, or practical peacemaking, this is a conversation you will not want to miss. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

The call to “follow the science” has become a defining phrase of recent years—but what does it mean to investigate reality for ourselves when institutions, experts, and financial incentives all shape the story we’re told? In this episode, journalist and independent researcher Mehrtash Olson brings the Bahá’í principle of the independent investigation of reality into direct contact with today’s information climate.Drawing on several years of research into media trends, COVID-era messaging, and the growing influence of what some describe as a medical-industrial complex, Olson traces how deference to authority can quietly slide into a culture where honest questions are discouraged or punished. He highlights efforts to categorize dissent as misinformation or hate speech, and the way political and economic power can converge to manage what counts as acceptable opinion. Alongside these observations, he turns to Bahá’í teachings from Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi that affirm freedom of conscience, the right of self-expression, and the vital role of open consultation in social progress.The conversation does not promote cynicism for its own sake. Instead, it invites a more mature, spiritually grounded approach to truth-seeking, one that respects science and institutions while insisting that each person retains the duty to “see with [their] own eyes and not through the eyes of another.” For listeners unsettled by the current information landscape, this episode offers principles, language, and examples to support thoughtful, ethical discernment in a noisy age. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

What if faith and humor aren’t opposites, but companions on the road toward hope? In this episode, we sit down with Sy Hoekstra—a writer, editor, and podcaster whose story weaves together deep honesty and joyful perspective. Blind since birth, Sy brings firsthand insight into the realities of living with disability, but refuses to let hardship define the story. Instead, his writing explores faith in the language of humility, hospitality, and generous self-awareness, often delivered with a contagious sense of humor.Sy speaks candidly about choosing humor not as a coping mechanism for pain, but as a sign of spiritual and emotional health. Drawing from the words and actions of Jesus—especially those challenging self-importance and pride—Sy shares how laughter becomes an act of hope, inviting others into dialogue about awkward or misunderstood topics. Far from avoiding difficulty, his approach opens the door to real connection, helping friends and readers find clarity, grace, and even joy in unlikely places.Whether you’re navigating your own challenges, seeking a fresh take on faith in a broken world, or simply curious about humor as a tool for hospitality, you’ll find Sy’s approach both inviting and thought-provoking. This conversation is an honest exploration of humility, belonging, and how we care for each other by meeting awkwardness with kindness and wit. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Mark Vernon steps into the studio for an episode that faces our collective anxieties with honesty and depth. The conversation opens with the sense of collapse many feel today—a sense that familiar certainties are fading. Instead of offering quick fixes or retreating into platitudes, Mark explores what happens when we approach uncertainty as a call to discover deeper forms of truth and beauty.Drawing on his background as a psychotherapist, educator, and former vicar, Mark unpacks lessons from the Platonic and Christian traditions. He reflects on thinkers like Dante and William Blake, but also connects these traditions to the symbols and stories of modern culture—even Frankenstein and zombies become part of the journey.This episode asks: Can meaning and hope break through, even when everything feels unsettled? Mark suggests that wisdom is less about escaping difficulty and more about cultivating a way of seeing—a spiritual intelligence—that reveals goodness precisely in the moment of greatest uncertainty. Whether you’re drawn to philosophy, psychology, faith, or simply the yearning for deeper answers, this conversation offers a space to wrestle honestly with the questions of our age. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Shane Claiborne is neither content with ideas nor preoccupied with abstractions. His vision of peacemaking is urgent, tangible—and sometimes quite literally, forged in fire. In this episode, Shane shares the journey behind Raw Tools, where surrendered guns are melted and re-formed into gardening instruments, echoing the prophetic call to “beat swords into plowshares.” The work is as symbolic as it is practical, challenging both the weaponization of society and the ways Christians can drift from the teachings of Jesus.We go deeper than headlines or slogans. Shane speaks with candor and humility about learning from figures like Mother Teresa, collaborating with grassroots communities, and the struggles of being a “Red Letter Christian” when compassion means confronting systems—and ourselves. There is room here for laughter (yes, Dolly Parton makes an appearance), but also for reflective questions about what it means to love authentically, seek justice, and cultivate hope in broken places.This conversation will speak to anyone asking how faith can be lived in the real world—where change is hard, but redemption is always possible. Whether you’re passionate about justice, curious about social action, or simply searching for honest spiritual dialogue, you’ll find both challenge and inspiration in Shane’s story. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Michael Stone joins us again for a focused conversation on fear, trauma, and the quiet work of becoming whole. He explains how trauma forms early, how it influences our choices and relationships, and why fear often becomes the lens through which we interpret everything. His approach is steady, practical, and rooted in decades of lived experience.Building on his previous appearance, Michael reflects on the difference between coping mechanisms and true integration. For him, oneness isn’t an idea to believe in but a state that emerges when the body, mind, and heart are finally aligned. The conversation invites listeners to understand their fear with more compassion and to recognize the possibility of healing within their own story.This episode offers a calm, grounded perspective for anyone navigating unresolved pain or searching for a sense of inner steadiness. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Humanity is standing on the edge of a profound transition. In this episode, award-winning author and educator Dr. Scott Guerin joins us to unpack the central themes of his book Awkward Awakening—a call to recognize our divine nature, our expanding awareness, and the subtle shifts reshaping how we understand mind, body, and spirit. He outlines why the old boundaries between the physical and nonphysical are no longer holding, and how this realization is opening an entirely new landscape of experience.Dr. Guerin brings decades of work in human development and spiritual psychology to a conversation that bridges science, spirituality, and the unexplored dimensions of consciousness. From our “galactic heritage” to the rise of experiential spirituality, he explains how these emerging patterns are not fringe ideas but signals of a larger evolutionary moment. His perspective offers clarity without sensationalism—a grounded understanding of what many people are already feeling but haven’t been able to name.Together, we explore how to navigate this awakening with discernment and purpose. Dr. Guerin shares practical approaches, reflective tools, and the inner posture needed to engage this shift with integrity. Whether you approach this as a believer, a seeker, or simply someone sensing change on the horizon, this conversation offers a meaningful map for finding your way home. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Reynaldo Pareja joins the conversation to explore two questions that have defined much of his work: How does God communicate with humanity, and is there a single principle that holds the universe together? His perspective moves between the sweep of cosmic reality and the interior landscape of human consciousness, treating both as essential parts of the same search.He reflects on revelation as an ongoing, intentional process—one that invites humanity to understand the divine not as a distant abstraction but as a presence that unfolds across history. At the same time, he examines the astonishing coherence of creation, from the behavior of galaxies to the complexity of cells, suggesting that unity is not an ideal but a structural truth woven into existence itself.The result is an episode that brings science, spirituality, and human experience into the same frame, offering a grounded and expansive look at how we make sense of our place in a universe that is both immeasurable and intimately connected. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Facing nine federal indictments and a possible thirty-seven-year sentence, Daniel Gray did something few people in today’s outrage-driven culture ever do: he took responsibility for everything. Not only for January 6, but for the digital spiral that pulled him in — the doomscrolling, the toxic influencers, and the online ecosystem that blurred judgment and distorted truth. When he pleaded guilty, he wasn’t seeking leniency; he was seeking honesty. Judge Amy Berman Jackson ultimately sentenced him to thirty months. And as Daniel reflects, you cannot receive grace without accountability — and grace without repentance is a mockery of grace.In this rare, unfiltered conversation, Daniel opens a window into the psychology of radicalization and the cost of stepping back into the light. He examines the pressures of the algorithm, the moral vacuum of influencer culture, and the growing dissonance between truth and the digital personas we choose to believe. This episode is not about politics — it’s about the spiritual, moral, and human journey of a man who confronted his own failures and discovered that redemption begins where self-deception ends. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Mary DeMuth joins Wade Fransson for a direct and honest conversation about what it takes to heal from harm. Rather than circling the idea of trauma, she names the internal patterns that linger long after the moment has passed—shame, silence, and the false belief that suffering is the end of the story.She speaks openly about the discipline of rebuilding a self: how truth-telling restores agency, how faith steadies the inner life, and why freedom begins with refusing to inherit the limits others place on us. Her perspective is not theoretical; it’s lived, tested, and carried forward through her work as an author, advocate, and voice for those still finding their own.Mary is a literary agent, artist, speaker, podcaster at PrayEveryDay.show, and author of 50+ books, including The Most Overwhelmed Women of the Bible (Skyhorse, 2025). She lives in Texas with her husband and is the mom to three adult children. Find out more at https://www.marydemuth.com Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Freedom for Sale begins by revisiting one of the most urgent frontiers of our age: the struggle to think freely. Journalist Mehrtash Olson joins Wade Fransson to examine how modern information systems—powerful, profitable, and often opaque—reshape not only public opinion but the inner landscape where conviction, conscience, and moral clarity are formed.Expanding on earlier conversations about skepticism and the sources that shape our worldview, this episode traces the mechanisms through which narratives are engineered, trust is eroded, and attention becomes a marketplace. Yet the conversation rises above critique. Through the lens of the Bahá’í teachings on truthfulness, justice, and the sanctity of thought, Mehrtash asks what it means to safeguard the integrity of our own perception when the world is designed to bend it.This episode marks the beginning of a new mini-series within Created in the Image of God—a journey into the forces that influence our choices, the freedoms we unknowingly surrender, and the spiritual discipline required to reclaim the authorship of our own minds. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Yiscah Smith joins us to reflect on a lifetime of transformation—from the suburban landscapes of 1950s America to the spiritual terrain of modern Israel, where her search for meaning has unfolded across decades.Her latest work, Planting Seeds of the Divine: Torah Commentaries to Cultivate Your Spiritual Practice (University of Nebraska Press), gathers the wisdom of her experience into a meditation on what it means to live consciously. Having spent seventeen years immersed in the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic world, Smith came to recognize that ritual without sincerity leads to silence of the heart. Her decision to leave that world was not a rejection of Judaism, but a return to its essence—a rediscovery of the living spark that connects the individual soul to the Divine.With rare clarity, Yiscah speaks of faith as an embodied awareness—a way of seeing that restores dignity, meaning, and connection in an age of dislocation. Her life’s work is a testament to the quiet strength of authenticity and to the enduring human desire to find God not in heaven, but within the soul’s own language. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe

Addison Hodges Hart has spent decades writing at the intersection of theology, history, and the contemplative life. Across twelve books—ranging from his studies of the Gospels to his philosophical meditations and even his fictional experiment Confessions of the Antichrist—he has returned again and again to a single question: what remains of faith once the scaffolding of doctrine has been stripped away?In this conversation, Hart draws on his long career as a priest, scholar, and spiritual essayist to examine how belief evolves when it is tested by experience rather than upheld by obligation. He reflects on the tensions he has observed within Christian communities, the limits of dogmatic certainty, and the quiet resilience of a faith grounded in intellectual honesty. With the same clarity that animates his Substack The Pragmatic Mystic, Hart argues that the spiritual life matures only when it learns to breathe outside the structures built to protect it.What emerges is not a dismissal of tradition, but a more demanding version of it—one that asks for depth over compliance, and for courage in the face of unanswerable questions. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe