• 47 minutes 31 seconds
    When God Feels Absent: How Faith Makes Room for Doubt and Hope with Christian Wiman

    If you’ve struggled with questions about God, suffering, or whether faith can make sense of the world’s brokenness, you’re not alone. Poet Christian Wiman joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about pain, joy, doubt, and the lifelong hunger for God. Together, they explore a faith honest enough to hold both questions and hope.

    S10 E10:

    00:00 The Genesis of Glimmerings
    04:41 Navigating Differences in Faith
    12:24 The Role of Personal Encounters
    18:45 The Intersection of Suffering and Longing for God
    23:33 The Relationship Between Love, Suffering, and Hope
    36:37 Sustaining Faith in Everyday Life
    39:53 Cutting Through the Noise: Faith Beyond Differences

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:


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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Christian Wiman is the Clement-Muehl Professor of the Arts at Yale Divinity School. He is the author, editor, or translator of fifteen books, including Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair and Hammer Is the Prayer: Selected Poems.  His work appears regularly in Harper’s, The New Yorker, and Commonweal.

    More about Chris: https://divinity.yale.edu/profile/christian-wiman

    Glimmerings: Letters on Faith Between a Poet and a Theologian


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    21 July 2026, 8:00 am
  • 44 minutes 51 seconds
    Love, Guilt, and Care: A Sibling’s Disability Story with Brian Trapp

    When a child grows up with a sibling with a disability, what defines their childhood? Author Brian Trapp reflects on life with his twin brother with cerebral palsy. Brian shares how his childhood was a source of unexpected gifts, deep connection, and lifelong formation. He joins Amy Julia Becker to consider:

    • Limits of labels like “glass child” and “mental age”
    • Family and flourishing together
    • The complexity of identity
    • Sibling and caregiving relationships
    • Range of Motion by Brian Trapp

    S10 E9:

     00:00 The Bond of Brotherhood: Growing Up with Disability
     08:55 Glass Child Syndrome and Sibling Experiences
     18:23 Analogies for Family Life with Disability
     23:27 The Complexity of Identity within Relationships and Caregiving
     32:07 Fiction vs. Memoir: Exploring Personal Narratives
     35:31 Understanding Mental Age and Its Implications
     40:23 Reimagining Disability: A House of Laughter

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Brian Trapp is the author of Range of Motion. He is director of Disability Studies at the University of Oregon, where he also teaches creative writing and edits the Northwest Review. His essay about being a sibling to his twin brother Danny was featured on NPR’s Here and Now. Find out more at: https://briantrappwriter.com/

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    14 July 2026, 8:00 am
  • 46 minutes 45 seconds
    Who Counts as Human? with Brian Brock, PhD

    Difference exposes our tendency to rank people as “better” or “worse.” Theologian Brian Brock, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore a life rooted in connection, creatureliness, and love. They consider:

    • Social hierarchy and disability stigma
    • Dietrich Bonhoeffer, community, and moral responsibility
    • Human worth and personhood
    • Joining Creation's Praise

    S10 E8:

    00:00 Introduction: Joining Creation's Praise
    04:35 Human Beings Are Creatures
    11:57 Human Exceptionalism and Disability
    16:00 Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Disability, Moral Responsibility, and Community
    21:19 Euthanasia and Historical Context
    24:07 Creation, Redemption, and Human Worth
    32:22 Understanding Personhood in Modern Ethics
    40:59 Reimagining the Good Life Through Creation

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:


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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Brian Brock (DPhil, King’s College, London) is Chair of Moral and Practical Theology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He has written scholarly works on the use of the Bible in Christian ethics, the ethics of technological development, the theology of disability and the doctrine of creation. He is founder and managing editor of the academic monograph series T&T Clark Enquires in Theological Ethics, is Managing Editor of the Journal of Disability and Religion and President of the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics. He is also a husband and father of three children, including Adam, who is 21, a delightful human being with Down’s Syndrome and autism. His most recent book is Joining Creation's Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness.

    Professor Brian Brock | The University of Aberdeen

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    7 July 2026, 8:00 am
  • 45 minutes 52 seconds
    Why Forgiveness Isn’t the First Step with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

    S10 E7—Saying "I'm sorry" isn't enough to repair personal or institutional harm. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, author of On Repentance and Repair, joins Amy Julia Becker to share an ancient framework for repentance and repair that challenges our culture's obsession with quick apologies. Together they discuss forgiveness, institutional responsibility, and breaking cycles of harm.

    00:00 Defining Repentance and Repair
    04:29 The Current State of Repentance in Society
    07:10 Maimonides' Process of Repentance
    17:00 The Influence of Distorted Protestantism on American Culture
    22:50 The Complexity of Forgiveness and Purpose of Repentance
    28:45 Institutional Harm and the Challenges of Repair
    41:59 Repentance as a Path to a Good Life


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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg is the award-winning author of eight books who now makes her primary writing home at LifeIsASacredText.com 

    She has received the Lives of Commitment Award from Auburn Seminary, and the Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award from the human rights organization T’ruah, was named by Newsweek as a “rabbi to watch,” and as a “faith leader to watch” by the Center for American Progress.

    Her newest book, On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World is a National Jewish Book Award winner and an American Library Association’s Sophie Brody Honor Book. It was hailed by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley as “A must read for anyone navigating the work of justice and healing.”  

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    30 June 2026, 8:00 am
  • 43 minutes 26 seconds
    Who Gets to Tell the Story? Disability, Hollywood, and Family with Craig Thomas

    S10 E6—Is disability a tragedy to overcome, a burden to bear, an inspirational lesson for everyone else? Or is there a different story to tell, and who gets to tell it? Craig Thomas, co-creator of How I Met Your Mother, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss That’s Not How It Happened, his novel written from nearly two decades of growing up with a son with a rare genetic condition. Together they explore: 

    • Disability representation
    • Overprotective parenting
    • Independence and agency
    • The power of authentic storytelling

    00:00 The Story Behind "That's Not How It Happened"
    08:15 Character Perspectives and Empathy in Storytelling
    10:50 Disability and Family Dynamics: Parents and Siblings
    15:26 Exploring Agency, Independence, and Shared Humanity
    20:55 The Complexity of Emotions in Disability Narratives
    27:42 Challenging Myths Around Disability
    29:30 The Importance of Authentic Disability Representation in Media
    38:45 Reimagining Life with Disability

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Craig Thomas is the co-creator of the Emmy-winning comedy series How I Met Your Mother. His prose has appeared in The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, McSweeney's, and The Iowa Review. He lives in New York City with his wife, Rebecca, his daughter, Celia, and his son, Elliot, whose unique journey has had a huge impact on his life and work. That’s Not How It Happened is his first novel.

    https://www.instagram.com/craigtthomas/ and https://craigthomaswriter.com/

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    23 June 2026, 8:00 am
  • 42 minutes 9 seconds
    Racism, Greed, and the Good Life with Malcolm Foley, PhD

    S10 E5—Where does racism come from? Many of us assume it's rooted in hatred or fear, but what if it’s actually rooted in greed? As we approach Juneteenth, a day that commemorates freedom while reminding us of the work still before us, pastor and historian Malcolm Foley, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about his book The Anti-Greed Gospel. He traces the roots of racism to economic exploitation and invites the church to respond with solidarity, truth-telling, and tangible love.

    00:00 Introduction to the Link Between Greed and Racism
    10:56 Ida B. Wells and the Power of Economic Appeals
    18:11 The Cycle of Exploitation and Status
    22:54 Creative Resistance to Exploitation, Violence, and Lies
    29:05 Economic Solidarity in Contemporary Church
    35:23 Examples of Creative Anti-Violence in Action

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Malcolm Foley (PhD, Baylor University) is a pastor, historian, and speaker who serves as special adviser to the president for equity and campus engagement at Baylor University. He has written for Christianity Today, The Anxious Bench, and Mere Orthodoxy. Foley copastors Mosaic Waco, a multicultural church in Waco, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Desiree.

    Insta & threads: @revdocmalc

    @BrazosPress


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    16 June 2026, 8:00 am
  • 43 minutes 35 seconds
    The Life You Planned vs. the Life You Got with Karen Swallow Prior, PhD

    S10 E4—Do you ever wonder what your life would look like if you had made different decisions a long time ago? Author Karen Swallow Prior joins Amy Julia Becker for a conversation about regret, human limitations, and her experience of not having children. Together, they explore what it means to face the losses of the past while remaining open to the unexpected opportunities and possibilities that can emerge alongside them.

    00:00 Introduction to Personal Narratives
    04:22 Navigating Infertility and Ethical Dilemmas
    07:10 The Role of Faith and Community in Decision-Making
    11:01 Control, Risk, and Reproductive Technologies
    17:30 The Intersection of Calling and Life Choices
    20:57 Navigating Regret, Limits, and Choices
    25:07 Historical Context of Childlessness
    29:07 Imagination and Reality in Family Dynamics
    37:25 Reimagining the Good Life Without Children

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Karen Swallow Prior, Ph.D. is the 2025-26 Karlson Scholar at Bethel Seminary. She is a popular writer and speaker, a contributing writer for The Dispatch, and a columnist for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vox, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and many other places. Her most recent book is You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful (Brazos 2025).

    CONNECT with Karen: karenswallowprior.com

    • Facebook: Karen Swallow Prior
    • Instagram: karenswallowprior
    • X: @KSPrior 
    • Substack: @karenswallowprior

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    9 June 2026, 8:00 am
  • 45 minutes 30 seconds
    The R-Word and the Language of Disability with Christina Cipriano, PhD

    S10 E3—The return of the R-word is about more than language. The words we choose both reflect and shape our moral imagination. When disability becomes an insult or a political weapon, it influences how we understand human worth, vulnerability, and belonging. In this conversation, Christina Cipriano, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore her research on political language and disability, including the return of the R-word. They discuss what these patterns reveal about the systems shaping care, education, and belonging, and they consider: how can we resist dehumanizing language and  choose words that move us toward justice and joy?

    00:00 Introduction to Disability Discourse Matters
    06:53 Asset-Based vs. Deficit-Based Perspectives
    10:27 Personal Narratives and Language Choices
    19:49 The Rise, Fall, and Rise of the R Word
    23:42 Dehumanization in Political Rhetoric
    28:47 Historical Context of Disability Discourse
    33:00 Disability Language and Future Generations
    40:48 Reimagining Disability and the Good Life

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Christina Cipriano, PhD, is currently an associate professor of applied developmental and educational psychology at the Yale Child Study Center in the Yale School of Medicine and Director of the Education Collaboratory. This fall Dr. Cipriano will transition to be the inaugural Joseph W. and Alma W. Keilty Endowed Chair in Education and Professor with tenure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Education Collaboratory will be moving to the College of Education at UMass Amherst. An award-winning scholar and internationally regarded expert in the science of learning and development, Chris received her PhD from Boston College, her EdM from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her undergraduate degree from Hofstra University. Dr. Cipriano has published over one hundred and twenty papers, commentaries, and reports, spanning top-tier journals such as Child Development and the Review of Educational Research as well as media outlets including The Washington Post, NPR, The New York Times, PBS, and Education Week. Her award-winning and best-selling new book, Be Unapologetically Impatient: The Mindset Required to Change the Way We Do Things (2025), is the latest must-read for every educator, provider, parent, and person interested in improving the lives of children and families, right now. A prolific public scholar, educator, and speaker, Chris privileges her positionality as a first-generation high school graduate and mother of four children in her science.

    https://www.drchriscip.com/

    https://www.disabilitydiscoursematters.org/

    https://www.beunapologeticallyimpatient.com/

    https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/christina-cipriano/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinacipriano/

    LinkedIn @ChristinaCipriano

    Instagram @DrChrisCip

    BlueSky @DrChrisCip

    Twitter @DrChrisCip


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    2 June 2026, 8:00 am
  • 52 minutes 59 seconds
    The Spirituality of Weariness with Tish Harrison Warren

    S10 E2—What do you do when you’ve done all the “right” spiritual things and still feel exhausted? Tish Harrison Warren, a writer and Anglican priest, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore burnout, spiritual dryness, midlife weariness, and the practices that help us stay rooted when God feels distant. For those who are tired, discouraged, or wondering why faith feels harder than it used to, here’s hope for the long middle of life from Tish’s latest book, What Grows in Weary Lands.

    00:00 Introduction to Tish Harrison Warren
    03:29 Exploring Spiritual Weariness and Doubt
    14:47 Understanding Fortitude and Resilience
    23:23 The Imagined Good Life
    30:20 Navigating the Desert of Faith
    35:10 The Practice of Stability
    44:04 Community in Seasons of Aridity

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    Books by Tish Harrison Warren: 

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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Tish Harrison Warren is an Anglican priest and the author of several books, including Liturgy of the Ordinary, which won Christianity Today’s 2018 Book of the Year, and Prayer in the Night, which won Christianity Today’s 2022 Book of the Year and the 2022 ECPA Christian Book of the Year. She formerly wrote a weekly newsletter for The New York Times, which focused on faith in public discourse and private life. She was also a columnist at Christianity Today. Her articles and essays have appeared in Comment Magazine, The Point Magazine, Religion News Service, and elsewhere. She currently serves as the C.S. Lewis Theological Writer-in-Residence for The Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. She is a senior fellow with the Trinity Forum and an assisting priest at Immanuel Anglican Church. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three children.

    https://tishharrisonwarren.com/

    https://www.instagram.com/tishharrisonwarren/


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    26 May 2026, 8:00 am
  • 55 minutes 59 seconds
    How to Design a More Human World with Sara Hendren

    S10 E1—When you walk into a room, what does that room tell you about who you are as a human being? What assumptions go into our restaurants and civic buildings and churches and homes and schools? What do they say about who we are and about how we relate to each other? Artist and design researcher Sara Hendren joins Amy Julia Becker to explore how modern spaces—from office buildings to nursing homes—shape what we believe about dignity, dependence, and belonging. Together they uncover how design can either diminish or restore our shared humanity, and why the good life depends on reimagining how we live together.

    00:00 Introduction to Design and Humanity
    05:24 Understanding the Machine Model and Anti-Human Design
    14:32 What Spaces Communicate About Being Human
    29:29 Design Choices and Human Dignity
    34:49 Innovations in Dementia Care Design
    37:26 Art and Dignity for Individuals with Disabilities
    41:32 The Metaphysics of Dignity and Human Connection
    51:07 Designing for the Good Life: Relationality and Community

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    ABOUT OUR GUEST:

    Sara Hendren is an artist, design researcher, writer, and professor at Northeastern University. Her book What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World explores the places where disability shows up in design at all scales: assistive technology, furniture, architecture, urban planning, and more. It was named one of the Best Books of 2020 by NPR and won the 2021 Science in Society Journalism book prize.

    Her art and design works have been exhibited on the White House lawn under the Obama presidency, at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Seoul Museum of Art, the Vitra Museum, and many others, and her work is held in the permanent collections at MoMA and the Cooper Hewitt. She has been an NEH Public Scholar and a fellow at New America, and her commentary and criticism have been published in Harper’s, Art in America, The New York Times, the Washington Post, and elsewhere.

    Website: sarahendren.com

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    19 May 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 minute 55 seconds
    Reimagining the Good Life - What's Next?

    What makes a life good? In this new season of Reimagining the Good Life, Amy Julia Becker invites listeners into thoughtful conversations about faith, family, disability, belonging, beauty, repair, community, and what it means to be human. This season features interviews with:

    • Tish Harrison Warren about persevering with grace through midlife
    • Malcolm Foley about the role of greed and pride in racism and what we can do to respond with love
    • Brian Brock about disability and creation
    • Dr. Chris Cipriano at Yale about politics and language and disability 
    • Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg about her book On Repentance and Repair 
    • Craig Thomas, author of the book That's Not How It Happened and co-creator of How I Met Your Mother, about how we tell the story of family and Down syndrome.

    Follow the show now and join us beginning May 19 for a new season of Reimagining the Good Life.

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    12 May 2026, 8:00 am
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