Is it true that “you can’t believe” anything you read? Can we consume news with a mindset other than cynicism, outrage, or fear? 

Host Curtis Chang welcomes journalist and author Jon Ward to discuss why Christians need to care about a well-functioning news culture. With an AP poll on mainstream media showing trust at an all-time low, they explore the reasons behind this crisis—political isolation, social media's influence, and potential media bias. Together, they offer a framework for healthy news consumption, focusing on the postures of spectator, student, and servant, while Jon shares his personal strategies for staying informed in a fractured media landscape.

Referenced in This Episode:

• Gallup: Media Trust Data

• AP Media Trust Polling

• Gallup: Ideology percentages in the U.S.

• Media Bias Chart (based on self-identified ideology)

• The Highest Paid Media Personalities

• Top News Anchor Pay Cuts

• Tucker Carlson’s 2009 Defense of The New York Times

Jon Ward’s Suggested Media Sources:

• The Associated Press

• The New York Times

• The National Review

• Politico

• The Dispatch

• Axios

• The Liberal Patriot

• Wake Up To Politics

Some Local News Options

• The Baltimore Banner

• The Texas Tribune

• Streetcar Suburbs Publishing

More From Jon Ward:

• Check out Jon Ward’s Border-Stalkers Substack

• Buy & read Jon ward’s book Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation

• Listen to Jon Ward’s podcast The Long Game 

Send your Campfire Stories to: [email protected]

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Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church.

What level of crazy or calm will the next Trump White House bring with it? 

Host Curtis Chang is joined by Tim Alberta, author of The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, to explore the turbulence surrounding the final days of Donald Trump's 2024 campaign and what it might signal for the next administration. They analyze potential picks for key cabinet roles, examining what these choices could mean for America's future both domestically and abroad. Curtis and Tim go beyond the palace intrigue to offer thoughtful ways to pray for the president-elect, urging listeners to consider Trump’s humanity, vulnerabilities, and penchant for chaos.

*This episode was recorded on Tuesday Nov 12, 2024 before some of the administration picks had been made.

Referenced in this Episode:

• Read Tim Alberta's The Atlantic piece about the last days of the Trump campaign

• Engage with our course The After Party 

• Read  1 Timothy 2:1-2

More From Tim Alberta:

• Check out all of Tim Alberta’s writing for The Atlantic  HERE

• Buy & read Tim Alberta’s books HERE

• Follow Tim Alberta on https://x.com/TimAlberta

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Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church.

Trump Wins, Good Faith Reacts

America elected a new president, and a familiar administration is poised to return to the White House. What does it all mean for Christians? Host Curtis Chang is joined by "founding friend" David French and public theologian Russell Moore to explore the intense emotions many are experiencing in the wake of this election. Together, they dive into listener questions about the global repercussions of another Trump presidency, the complex feelings some Christians experience about the political choices of fellow believers, and the evolving role of the church in a deeply divided America. Confronting shared experiences of anguish, alienation, and anger, the trio offers thoughtful insights into how we can navigate this challenging landscape of emotions about the known and unknown implications of the vote.

Referenced in this Episode:

• Engage with our course The After Party 

• Read an interview with Reinhold Niebuhr HERE

• Read Henry David Thoreau’s Walden online

• More on Augustine and the fall of Rome

• Neil Postman predicted Donald Trump in 1985

• Explore the J.R.R. Tolkien Society HERE

• 85 quotations from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

• C.S. Lewis on courage

• Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus by the Jon Guerra, Sandra McCracken, and Porter’s Gate

More From David French:

• Read David French’s opinion pieces HERE

• Follow David French on Threads  

• Listen to David on the Advisory Opinions podcast

More From Russell Moore:

• Read Russell Moore’s Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America 

• Listen to The Russell Moore Show podcast

• Explore Russell’s Christianity Today pieces

Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church.

Are you ready to cast your ballot?

In this final episode before the presidential election, host Curtis Chang and “founding friend” David French explore the tense feelings and tough questions Christians face as they prepare to vote. They explore how political instability might actually be a gift that pushes Jesus followers to adopt a mindset that seeks to defend the vulnerable, and when it’s necessary challenges “people of good will.” Curtis and David also discuss how social media often amplifies instability rather than providing insight, the importance of finding a virtuous purpose amid uncertainty, and the need for prayers of lament.

Referenced in this Episode:

• Read Curtis Chang’s Washington Post opinion piece Anxious about the nail-biter election? Here's how to survive it.

• Read Augustine’s City of God online

• Read Curtis Chang’s book Engaging Unbelief: A Captivating Strategy from Augustine and Aquinas 

• Read Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl

• Engage with our course The After Party 

Engaging with Prayers of Lamentation:

• Learning to Lament: A Guide to Praying in Our Hardest Moments 

• Dare to Hope in God: How to Lament Well 

More From David French:

• Read David French’s opinion pieces HERE

• Follow David French on Threads  

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Join us for the following The After Party/Good Faith virtual events:

November 4th all-comers election eve noontime prayer

November 6th post-election podcast recording

Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church.

Enter to win the Good Faith Book Giveaway: The After Party Edition! 

Why is truth-telling so hard to do within the church? Host Curtis Chang and renowned therapist and author Dan Allender explore the complex crossroads of theology and psychology, tracing the evolving, sometimes fraught relationship between the Christian church and therapy. With warmth and candor, Dr. Allender shares both his love for and ambivalence toward psychotherapy, reflecting on how it can challenge our understanding of the role trauma plays in the search for God’s truth. Together, they invite listeners to consider how an imaginative rethinking of the "war within you" can open new pathways to authentic worship.

Drawing upon material from a past conversation, this episode will inspire a continued reimagining of therapy’s place in faith communities.

Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening

Join us for the following The After Party/Good Faith virtual events:

October 28th pre-election podcast recording

November 4th all-comers election eve noontime prayer

November 6th post-election podcast recording

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! 

Enter to win the Good Faith Book Giveaway: The After Party Edition! 

Referenced in this Episode

• Read Calvin’s Institutes online

• Learn more about Christian Smith and Melissa Lundquist Denton’s Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

• Find out about Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy

• Read about Rollo Mae and existential therapy

• Read C.S. Lewis’s "Weight of Glory" sermon online

More From Dan Allender:

• Learn more about Dan’s work at The Allender Center

• Check out Dan Allender’s books

"What if much of what you’ve been told about Heaven was incorrect?" Host Curtis Chang is joined by Skye Jethani, author and co-host of the Holy Post podcast, for a conversation about the widespread misconceptions of Heaven. Together, they unpack why many of us have been asking the wrong questions about Heaven. For instance, rather than asking “Is Heaven real?" or “Who is going to Heaven?” Christians are called by Jesus to make Heaven more real in the here and now, including in our vocation, family, and even how we care for the Earth. Join them in this shift from a Heaven-focused faith to a Christ-centered practice that brings Heaven and Earth closer together than you might have imagined.

Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening

Join us for the following The After Party/Good Faith virtual events:

October 28th pre-election podcast recording

November 4th all-comers election eve noontime prayer

November 6th post-election podcast recording

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! 

Enter to win the Good Faith Book Giveaway: The After Party Edition! 

Referenced in this Episode

• Read what N.T. Wright believes the New Testament says about Heaven

• Watch The Bible Project video about the overlapping of Heaven and Earth

• Read about the Heresy of Eusebius

• Read Richard Mouw’s essay Heaven: The Logic of Eternal Joy

• Read an excerpt from Andy Crouch’s Culture Making about  "culture as the furniture of Heaven"

More From Skye Jethani:

• Check out Skye’s work at The Holy Post 

• Subscribe to Skye’s daily devotional With God Daily 

• Explore Skye’s books including What If Jesus Was Serious About Heaven?

Who are the men and women that will be needed to shape tomorrow’s politics towards something better? Host Curtis Chang and Good Faith "founding friend" David French take on the role of political talent scouts, spotlighting five sleeper political figures that we should have on our radar. From "prodigals" and "exiles" to "warriors," they profile the kind of leaders necessary to point America beyond the 2024 election. This insightful conversation is essential for anyone focusing on the long game in today’s political landscape.

Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening

Enter to win the Good Faith Book Giveaway: The After Party Edition! 

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! 

Join Curtis Chang in Texas! Details Here

Referenced in this Episode

• Watch Senator James Lankford defend the recent immigration bill

• Read about Governor Spencer Cox’s posture of Healthy Conflict

• Watch Governor Spencer Cox’s political advertisement with his rival

• Read about Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson’s take on election integrity

• Watch Governor Josh Shapiro’s PA rally victim comments

• Explore former Congressman Adam Kinzinger’s Country First movement

• Read the Washington Post op/ed about former Congressman Mike Gallagher

• Read about the bipartisan national security & military leaders supporting Harris in 2024

More From David French:

• Read David French’s opinion pieces HERE

• Follow David French on Threads  

The world offers many misleading messages about disability. Host Curtis Chang and author Amy Julia Becker challenge these misconceptions, especially around what makes a life "valuable." Drawing from her journey raising a daughter with Down Syndrome, Becker highlights the profound differences between pity, compassion, and a curiosity that honors the intrinsic worth of every person. They discuss how faith communities can more meaningfully welcome and support families of children with Down Syndrome and other disabilities. Becker also offers practical questions to help Jesus followers engage with and better understand the experiences of families walking a path similar to her own.

Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening

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! 

Join Curtis Chang in Texas! Details Here

Referenced in this Episode

• Read Galation 5:22-26 HERE

• Learn more about Down Syndrome in the United States 

• Read about The impact of implicit and explicit bias about disabilities on parent experiences and information provided during prenatal screening and testing

Explore Amy Julia Becker’s work:

• Listen to Reimagining The Good Life podcast

• Read Amy Julia’s blog

• Check out Amy Julia’s website

• Buy & Read Amy Julia’s books (amazon)

How do we make sense of the world when we know our time is limited? Host Curtis Chang talks about this universal question with Amy Low, whose recent memoir The Brave In Between: Notes from the Last Room chronicles the lessons learned from her now five-year-long journey with a terminal cancer diagnosis. Together, they unpack Amy's powerful reminder that "the worst thing in life is not the last thing," offering hopeful insights into what it means to face suffering well. Their conversation delves into how to care for oneself and loved ones even when the future is uncertain… and how even to laugh amidst the hard things of life.

Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening

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! 

Join Curtis Chang in Texas! Details Here

Referenced in this Episode

• Read More about Chadwick Boseman and “What to Know About Colon Cancer” 

• Frederick Buechner’s book: Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale

• Read Frederick Buechner’s thoughts on GRACE

Explore Amy Low’s work:

• Read Amy’s Book: The Brave In-Between: Notes from the Last Room

• Check out Amy’s substack: Postcards From the Mountain

• Learn more about The Emerson Collective 

Are we on the brink of a post-human world? Host Curtis Chang is joined by author and Good Faith contributor Andy Crouch to delve into what it means to remain truly human in an era of growing AI powers. Together, they explore how followers of Jesus can help shape and adopt artificial intelligence to enhance rather than diminish the Imago Dei. They challenge listeners to exert authority over AI, including resisting the false ways that technology makes relationships appear effortless and frictionless, and instead pursue the more difficult but rewarding vision of genuine human community.

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! 

Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening

Referenced in this Episode

• Read Rosario Butterfield’s book: The Gospel Comes with a House Key

• Read Ruth Okediji’s ebook: Copyright in a Global Information Economy

• Read Ruth Okediji’s paper: The Limits of International Copyright Exceptions for Developing Countries

• Read Leopold Aschenbrenner’s paper: Situational Awareness, The Decade Ahead

Explore Andy Crouch’s work:

• Check out Andy’s website

• Check out Andy’s work at Praxis

• Read Andy’s book: The Life We're Looking For

How does God meet us in the spaces and actions that seem insignificant? Host Curtis Chang welcomes Grammy-winning producer Charlie Peacock and his wife, author Andi Ashworth, to explore just that – the profound mystery and importance of small things. The couple cofounded Art House America and explain what blossomed in the old church building they once called home thanks to their investment in a life of hospitality. Among other things, they tell the tale of how a certain Irish houseguest named Bono ignited a movement in their living room that would go on to save millions of lives. Curtis also wades into a topic that few of us consider: the ministry of cooking. You don’t want to miss this Good Faith conversation.

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

• Read Charlie Peacock & Andi Ashworth’s book Why Everything That Doesn't Matter Matters So Much

• Learn more about Art House America

• Visit Andrew Peterson’s Rabbit Room online

• Learn more about the L'Abri community

• Learn more about the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

• Watch Bono's remarks on PEPFAR on its 20th Anniversary

Explore Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth’s work:

• Find Charlie Peacock’s substack HERE

• Listen to Charlie Peacock’s new album Every Kind of Uh-Oh

• Read the collection of Andi Ashworth’s pieces for Comment HERE

• Buy & Read Andi Ashworth’s book Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring