A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Varina Buntin Willse, Author of Beneath and Between: And Other Overlooked Words That Illuminate God  Question of the Week: There are a lot of “go to phrases” that we use to describe God. What are some phrases or descriptions that you would say are underused? How can less utilized language and descriptions help expand our understanding of God? Beneath and Between: And Other Overlooked Words That Illuminate God For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Michael Heyes, Author of Devils of Democracy: America's Love Affair with Political Demons from the Revolution to Today & Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Religion at Lycoming College Question of the Week: How do theologies based on fear shape the way Christians understand power, enemies, and democracy? Why are fear and demonization such persuasive and powerful tools in religion and politics? Devils of Democracy: America's Love Affair with Political Demons from the Revolution to Today Michael's Website For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Chelsea Kim Long, Author of Faithfully Dissident Daughters: Reclaiming Christian Womanhood beyond Patriarchy; Neighborhood Pastor and Lay Theologian Question of the Week: How do patriarchal views of Christianity undermine women and womanhood? How can progressive faith communities help empower women to reimagine their faith and relationship with God? Faithfully Dissident Daughters: Reclaiming Christian Womanhood beyond Patriarchy For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Pamela Gales Conrad, Author of A Believer's Journey Through the Stars: Spiritual Reflections on the Wonders of the Universe, Astrobiologist, Former NASA Scientist, & Episcopal Priest Question of the Week: We often hear that science and faith cannot coexist and are in opposition with each other. How does your experience with astronomy, space exploration and the Mars Rover mission and astrobiology challenge that perception? A Believer's Journey Through the Stars: Spiritual Reflections on the Wonders of the Universe For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Rachel Kessler, Author of Nerd Faith: 60 Second Sprints of Spiritual Guidance for the Occasionally Uncool, Episcopal Priest & Chaplain at Kenyon College Question of the Week: People often separate pop culture from faith. But how do pop culture and spirituality intersect and how can pop culture actually be an entry point to deeper topics of faith and justice? Nerd Faith: 60 Second Sprints of Spiritual Guidance for the Occasionally Uncool For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Natalia Terfa, Author of It All Counts: Finding God Everywhere They Told You Not to Look; ELCA Pastor, & Host of the Cafeteria Christian Podcast Question of the Week: We’ve seen a lot of changes and challenges to the ways we understand what it means to be a person of faith or a church. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic forced communities to embrace new ways of worshipping. What does it mean to embrace new questions and understandings about church or our own faith, especially when it challenges the traditions we were raised in? It All Counts: Finding God Everywhere They Told You Not to Look Cafeteria Christian Podcast For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Marty Folsom, Author of The Psalms: A Sanctuary for the Soul, Book 1: 1–30 Question of the Week: Why do ancient prayers like the Psalms still matter in today's world? The Psalms: A Sanctuary for the Soul, Book 1: 1–30 For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Ben Daniel, Author of Grace Over Guns & Pastor at Montclair Presbyterian Church, Oakland, CA Question of the Week: We often hear about debates between military force ocassionally being justified compared to true, full pacifism. How are we to navigate this debate as Christians? Grace Over Guns For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, Author of Dangerous Songs: The Psalms and a Gloriously Disrupted Life & Director of Spiritual Formation at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minnesota Question of the Week: People often view the Psalms as scriptures for comfort and consolation. But the Psalms are so much more complex. What do we miss by failing to recognize the full experience that the Psalms depict, which include joy but also grief and struggle? Dangerous Songs: The Psalms and a Gloriously Disrupted Life For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Sarah K. Butterfield, Author, Podcaster & Ministry Director Question of the Week: Life is so busy for parents, and especially for moms and maternal figures. What does it look like to cultivate spiritual practices in the middle of busy “mom life”? How can spouses and partners support moms so they have time for their own spirituality? Sarah's Instagram Sarah's website Connect with God Quiz Love Like a Mother by Elizabeth Berget For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Rick Hamlin, Author of Everlasting Jesus: 40 Days of Timeless Wisdom for Modern Living Question of the Week: In today’s busy world full of news and noise, it can be a challenge to actually sit down and read scripture. Then when we finally do, we feel compelled to “get through” the reading to get on to the next thing, without actually absorbing any of Jesus’ teachings. How can we intentionally slow down to truly hear Jesus? Everlasting Jesus: 40 Days of Timeless Wisdom for Modern Living For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Richard Beck, Author of The Book of Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible & Professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University Question of the Week: In a polarized and politicized society, people hold very strongly what they believe is "right" or "the truth" when it comes to understanding and interpreting scripture. How can we read scripture together and have productive conversations about it, while navigating these different understandings and dynamics? The Book of Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible Global Flourishing Study For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Author of Ancestors: Those Who Bless Us, Curse Us, and Hold Us  Question of the Week: In a challenging and polarized world, it is easy to focus only on moving forward and not reflect on our own past and history. What do we miss when we forget to acknowledge and understand our ancestors? How does understanding our ancestors impact how see ourselves, especially as Christians? Ancestors: Those Who Bless Us, Curse Us, and Hold Us For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Warren Throckmorton, Author of The Christian Past That Wasn’t: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History Question of the Week: What are the myths that Christian nationalism perpetuates? Who do they empower and how do they misrepresent history and scripture? How can we counter this narrative? The Christian Past That Wasn't Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Jeffrey Overstreet, Author of Lost & Found in the Cathedral of Cinema and Through a Screen Darkly and The Auralia Thread series, Professor of Film and Creative Writing at Seattle Pacific University Question of the Week: We hear that you can experience and find God in the arts. But we also hear how some mediums such as film are more about entertainment or escapism. How can we find God in movies and cinema? How can film help us grow our faith? Lost & Found in the Cathedral of Cinema  For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Mihee Kim-Kort, Author of Seeing and Being Jesus in the World: How to Live God’s Radical Welcome as a Family Question of the Week: It’s hard to be a parent. Our kids and families have so much going on, it is hard to keep track of all the activities. Amidst the busyness, how can parents find the time to engage their children about justice issues in ways that are age appropriate, but also empowering? Seeing and Being Jesus in the World: How to Live God’s Radical Welcome as a Family For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Rev. Stephanie Spellers, Episcopal Priest in New York City & Author of Church Tomorrow?: What the 'Nones' and 'Dones' Teach Us About the Future of Faith  Question of the Week: We hear a lot about denominational decline and how the "church is dying" because young people are not going to church. But the response often makes it seem like young people are the problem, instead of the church refusing to adapt to new ways of being faith communities. So, why are young people not going to church? What can our churches we learn from this? Church Tomorrow?: What the 'Nones' and “Dones' Teach Us About the Future of Faith Stephanie Spellers' Website For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Ragan Sutterfield, Author of Watch and Wonder: Birding as a Spiritual Practice Question of the Week: We’ve heard the phrase “finding God in nature.” What are ways that we can connect with God and grow our spirituality that are unique to bird watching? Watch and Wonder: Birding as a Spiritual Practice For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Kristin T. Lee, Author of We Mend with Gold: An Immigrant Daughter's Reckoning with American Christianity Question of the Week: Immigrant families may (understandably) focus on “fitting in” with the culture, values, or expectations of the country they move to. But what is lost in the process of trying to fit in and “make it” with the new culture in terms of faith and identity? We Mend with Gold: An Immigrant Daughter's Reckoning with American Christianity For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: John Ghazvinian, Author, Historian and Former journalist Question of the Week: Considering the recent attacks on Iran by the US and Israel, so much misunderstanding and misinformation is flooding our news and social media feeds. How are we to understand what exactly is happening and what is the historical context that surrounds this devastating event? And how are people of faith to respond? America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present For Listening Guides, click here! Got a question for us? Send them to faithpodcast@pcusa.org! A Matter of Faith website