Good Faith

Host Curtis Chang is joined by Dr. Hahrie Han, a political scientist at Johns Hopkins University and the Director of the SNF Agora Institute, to explore how evangelical churches relate to racial and political issues. Drawing from her research on a multi-ethnic evangelical church in Cincinnati and insights from Redeeming Babel's "The After Party" project, Dr. Han reveals how cross-racial relationships within faith communities can help heal racial division and foster deeper belonging. Listeners will discover why facing questions of race and politics head-on, rather than reducing them to political buzzwords, can transform divisive issues into shared experiences that unite communities.   Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church.   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Let the Good Faith podcast “Stack Your Shelf.” Enter HERE to win 16 books by friends of the pod.   Join Curtis Chang in person:   See Curtis Chang and David French at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC See Curtis Chang and Tim Alberta at Wheaton College   Referenced in this episode:   Read Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone (Amazon) Learn more about Crossroads Church in Cincinnati Learn more about the Undivided Program Learn more about Pastor Chuck Mingo Listen to Curtis and David’s Good Faith conversation about “white replacement theory” with Chuck Mingo Listen to Curtis’s Good Faith conversation about churches who exploit political controversies with Chuck Mingo   Explore Hahrie Han’s work:   Hahrie’s work at John Hopkins’s P3 Lab Read Hahrie Han’s book Undivided  Explore Hahrie Han’s other books HERE  

Host Curtis Chang and "founding friend" David French dive into the five stories that dominated David's summer. From Ukraine's bold advance into Russia and the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump to Joe Biden's unexpected exit from the presidential race and a pair of astronauts lost in space, they cover it all. They even offer a moment of awe in honor of Steph Curry's golden moment at the Paris Olympics. The Psalms and Tolkien get obligatory shout outs, too. It's been one wild summer, and the original Good Faith team is here to unpack it all.   Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church.   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Let the Good Faith podcast “Stack Your Shelf.” Enter HERE to win 16 books by friends of the pod.   **Keep listening to Good Faith to learn where you can catch David & Curtis in person**   Referenced in this episode by Curtis and David:   Learn more about Buzz Aldrin's lunar communion (with photos of his handwritten Psalm 8 quote) Read Psalm 8 HERE Steph Curry gets Team USA over the finish line in gold medal game Scholarly paper on religion in Tolkien’s work, including a reference to: "The wind is in the West" Read Psalm 133 HERE  David French writes about Ukraine’s advance into Russia  Read about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s rejection of a United States’ evacuation offer in 2022 Learn more about George Washington’s Society of the Cincinnati Read about "Workism" and the Pew Research that unpacks it Read “The Business of Being Lorne Michaels” After the Trump assassination attempt failed, Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service Director, resigns   More From David French: Read David French’s opinion pieces HERE Follow David French on Threads  

Curtis Chang and worship leader Isaac Wardell are joined by renowned musicians Matt Maher, Sandra McCracken, and Jon Guerra, alongside poet Kate Bluett and Grammy-winning songwriter Dee Wilson. These talented artists are pivotal contributors to The Porter's Gate's worship album for the Redeeming Babel project, The After Party. They share their unique perspectives on how worship music can help navigate the current political challenges faced by American churches of all denominations. The group also offers an inside look at the creative process behind powerful tracks like "The Kingdom of Jesus," "The Lord Will Have His Way," and more.   Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Referenced in this episode by Curtis and his guests: Read more about Scottish patriot Andrew Fletcher Listen to “My Deliverer” by Rich Mullins’ Ragamuffin Band Listen to Howard University’s gospel choir perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Transcript of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s March 17, 1966 speech  Lost audio from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s February 26, 1965 sermon Listen to Matt Maher’s song “Sons and Daughters” Watch the trailer and clips from Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life HERE Listen to the score from Terrance Malick’s film A Hidden Life HERE Read 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (the ministry of reconciliation) HERE   Learn more about our guests: Isaac Wardell & The Porter’s Gate The Music of Matt Maher The Liturgical Poetry of Kate Bluett  The Devotional Songwriting of Jon Guerra The Work of Sandra McCracken  The Common Hymnal of Dee Wilson   

Host Curtis Chang welcomes Rev. Summer Joy Gross, author of The Emmanuel Promise, to explore how a broken attachment to God can amplify anxieties stemming from politics, interpersonal relationships, and global events like the crisis in Israel. Rev. Gross, drawing on her expertise as a spiritual director and her study of Attachment Theory, shares intentional spiritual practices to help cultivate a deeper attunement to God in all our emotions. This conversation offers practical steps to move beyond avoidance and frustration, guiding listeners toward greater internal security.   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church   Connect with the work of Rev. Summer Joy Gross HERE   Summer Joy Gross's book:  The Emmanuel Promise - Discovering the Security of a Life Held by God   REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:   To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism as edited by J.I. Packer   Dallas Willard on Spiritual Formation   Excerpt from Jim Wilder's book Renovated (Dallas Willard's concept of being attached to God)   Sungshim Loppnow and Jim Wilder's book: Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel     How to pray St. Ignatius's Examen   Jim Manney's Book: A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer - Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola's Examen   Grafted Directory of Evangelical Spiritual Directors Association (ESDA) Register for the Kingdom Politics Conference HERE  

Host Curtis Chang sits down with Pastor Caleb Campbell, author of the new book Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. Caleb shares his powerful journey from disenfranchised young churchgoer to neo-nazi, and ultimately, his transformation into an evangelical pastor with a desire to reach adherents of Christian Nationalism. Together, Curtis and Caleb explore how our friends and neighbors become entangled in the worship of nationalism and political power and offer practical steps for inviting these individuals into meaningful relationships that foster hope and change.   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Order Caleb E. Campbell's book: Disarming Leviathan Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor   REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:   Rich Mullins' Song: Sometimes By Step   Galatians 6:1-2 NIV   Tim Keller: Preaching to the Collective Heart (blog post)   Pete Scazzaro's book: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality     Register for the Kingdom Politics Conference HERE  

  How Deep Reading Forms Our Souls (with Jessica Hooten Wilson)   Host Curtis Chang and award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson, the Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University, discuss the decline of deep reading and how this might impact our lives. Hooten Wilson explains the significant benefits that listeners can experience by thoughtfully re-engaging with books as a regular practice. The conversation explores how deep reading can help individuals cultivate contemplation, love their neighbors, practice humility, and other aspects of deep spiritual growth.    Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Follow Jessica Hooten Wilson's work   Order Jessica Hooten Wilson's latest book: Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage?: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress   Order Jessica Hooten Wilson's book: Reading for the Love of God How to Read as a Spiritual Practice   REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:   The Daily Office Online   Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf    Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott A. Small   The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs    

Host Curtis Chang and Pete Wehner, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, engage in a thought-provoking discussion about tackling inner demons amidst America’s current political upheaval. They delve into topics such as the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden's determination to continue despite pressure to exit the race, and what our reactions to these events reveal about ourselves. The conversation gets personal as they examine the difference between moral reflection and moral equivalency during times of national instability.   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Read Pete Wehner's latest essays in The Atlantic   Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: President Lincoln's Lyceum Address

Host Curtis Chang and Good Faith contributor Andy Crouch strike a chord in their exploration of the dynamics of modern Christian worship music. Their conversation covers the ways that average Christians are becoming limited in their singing abilities, the concert-like performance style of worship leaders in our sanctuaries, and the commercial influence of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Curtis and Andy contend a musical reformation in the worship lives of believers is needed urgently today, and offer some practical tips on how to get started.   Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church   Join us for Office Hours with Curtis: July 16th at 7:30pm Eastern   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: Buy Ken Myers book All God's Children Wear Blue Suede Shoes: Christians & Popular Culture (Amazon)   Beautiful Things by Gungor   Job 3 (Job’s First Lament) ESV  

Host Curtis Chang goes back to school and sits down with Geneva College President Dr. Calvin Troup and student Mattigan Burleigh to explore the college's long-standing political coursework, dating back to 1881. They delve into how, in an era fraught with political anxiety, the culture of niceness has eroded an authentic engagement across differences. Listen and learn how to serve your communities by focusing on Jesus as the central norm in our common life.   Learn more about Geneva College's Political Science program here   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!   

In the second part of their extensive conversation, host Curtis Chang and author Tim Alberta discuss how some people in the church use the message of the cross as a weapon to exert political power over others, thus diluting its significance. They explore how many truth-seeking non-believers are put off by what they perceive as the hypocritical political engagement of some evangelicals. Curtis and Tim also hold a question-and-answer session that provides helpful strategies for staying focused on the gospel when Christian political culture distorts the message.   Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (Available on Amazon)  

Tim Alberta and Curtis Chang suggest a long-term approach for Christians when it comes to political engagement. They explore how the pursuit of short term political power has led believers away from effectively sharing the Gospel message. Alberta and Chang encourage listeners to consider how a deeper alignment with Jesus can lead to genuine engagement with people and the culture that lasts beyond immediate but temporary gains.   Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (Available on Amazon)  

Host Curtis Chang and "founding friend" David French sit down for a deep dive into ways people are detecting threats in today's polarized landscape. They explore how both conservatives and progressives (including Christians of both stripes) often distort potential dangers, creating a misleading perception of reality and double standards. They also provide practical strategies for repairing our dysfunctional threat detectors.   Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French  

Host Curtis Chang engages in an enlightening discussion with renowned New Testament scholar, pastor, and author N.T. Wright. They delve deeply into the concept of the "principalities and powers" in the writings of the Apostle Paul, examining the invisible - but powerful - spiritual realities behind our institutions, politics, and culture. Listen and discover how God meant for us to relate to these “powers” in the light of the Gospel.   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French   Get a copy of N.T. Wright's Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies   Keep up with the work of N.T. Wright  

Host Curtis Chang invites Dr. Mark Turman, Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries, to join him in examining the unique challenges faced by pastors in the American evangelical tradition. Both former pastors themselves, Curtis and Mark unpack the actual and perceived struggles that have made so many pastors contemplate leaving their roles. They also champion a missional mindset that can change the way pastors do gospel work and practical advice for congregants who want to support their spiritual leaders.   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French   Check out Dr. Turman's Denison Forum work   Resources mentioned in this episode:   The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Jim Davis & Michael Graham   Barna Group Research: 7-Year Trends - Pastors Feel More Loneliness & Less Support   Barna Group Research: Pastors’ Credibility Is in Question—Even Among Pastors  

Host Curtis Chang sits down with Elizabeth Neumann, a national security expert who served both the George W. Bush and  Donald Trump administrations. Together, they explore the alarming rise of radicalization among everyday citizens, including within evangelical communities, and its implications for both the Christian church and democracy. Neumann shares her insights on the roots of this growing extremism and what we can do to address and mitigate these threats.   Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French   Order Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace by Elizabeth Neumann  

Host Curtis Chang and Washington University professor of law & religion John Inazu explore principles that can teach us to cultivate greater empathy and respect for the differences we encounter in our daily lives. If you feel like you always have to be right, their conversation offers practical insights and stories that reveal how legal frameworks and Christian principles can inspire more compassionate interactions in a world brimming with diverse thoughts. Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French Order Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect by John Inazu  Discover the power of https://pastors.ai/   

Curtis Chang and David French delve into the multifaceted impact of youth sports culture on both parents and children. They explore how it demands our time, influences our social status, can strain our finances, and even affects our spiritual well-being. Listen as they uncover the hidden costs of turning what used to be play into a semi-professional lifestyle and discuss practical steps we can take to reclaim balance and well-being for our families.   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French

Host Curtis Chang engages in a profound and moving conversation with distinguished professor, pastor, and champion of Christian healthcare, John Swinton. Together, they delve into the theology of dementia care, exploring the spiritual dimensions of how God treasures all of His created beings, regardless of their cognitive abilities. Professor Swinton sheds light on the sacred act of caring for those afflicted with dementia and points listeners to the profound truth that God remembers His people, even when their remembrances of this life and His love wane.   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French Buy Profesor Swintons Books   Read Professor Swinton’s Essays   

Host Curtis Chang explores the intersection of faith, music, and biblical harmony with acclaimed singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken in a conversation focusing on the craft of scripture-soaked songwriting. While discussing the influences that have shaped Sandra’s art, they unravel the importance of music in our daily lives and worship routines. The pair also share insights from a recent collaboration between the Porter’s Gate and Redeeming Babel that produced a new batch of songs that fosters unity amidst today's political divisions.   Follow our social media accounts to stay abreast of news about “Songs For The After Party” from The Porter’s Gate and Redeeming Babel.   Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    See Sandra McCracken on tour: dates here!   Buy Sandra’s Book: Send Out Your Light: The Illuminating Power of Scripture and Song   Music mentioned in the episode:   Psalms (album) by Sandra McCracken   We Will Feast In The House of Zion by Sandra McCracken   Steadfast by Sandra McCracken   Trinity Song by Sandra McCracken   Fool's Gold by Sandra McCracken   Song For Rachel by Sandra McCracken  

We can't get enough of our friend Nancy French! Her debut memoir, “Ghosted: An American Story,” is available now. That's why we decided to revisit host Curtis Chang's journey into the realm of storytelling with Nancy as his guide. By embracing the narratives of our lives and recognizing the divine Author behind our individual stories, the duo urges listeners to explore family histories and origin tales to gain deeper insight into their journeys. Trust us, if you haven't listened to this episode yet, you're missing out on a classic!   Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Order your copy of Ghosted: An American Story by Nancy French   Free online journaling: https://penzu.com/