Personalist Manifesto(s)

At some point, the easy answers stopped working.

Personalist Manifesto(s) is a theology podcast for people who can’t settle for clean resolution. Each episode is a conversation with theologians, philosophers, and honest skeptics about what it means to take faith seriously, without surface answers to important questions.

Hosted by Dr. Michael Morelli, theologian and professor at Northwest College & Seminary.

Theology that refuses easy answers.

Play

Open in

20 episodes
Avg 1 hr 15 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

#47
June 23 · 1 hr 8 min
You Don't Need a Calling - A Conversation with Damon Garcia
Here's a novel idea: you don't need a calling. That's the title of Damon Garcia's new book. In this conversation, we talk about what inspired a book that runs straight against the grain of what so many of us have been inundated with since as far back as we can remember: the story that we have to know what our unique gifts are, what our specific calling is, and then figure out how we're going to make a "successful" life out of both. What if there is a different—and better—story? Damon asks. And he develops a compelling answer to this question in this book. Bio Damon Garcia is a public theologian, writer, video essayist, and author of The God Who Riots: Taking Back the Radical Jesus. He discovered his passion for ministering to spiritual misfits and radicals through evangelical youth and young adult ministry in evangelical spaces. This passion led him out of Evangelicalism and into post-Christian spaces, where he continues to develop a liberative Christianity for a disillusioned generation through video essays and dialogue. Garcia's work is inspired by liberation theology and anti-capitalist politics as he helps people unsettle and untangle oppressive ideologies. He lives in Santa Maria, California. Links Damon's new book: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889832164/You-Dont-Need-a-Calling Website: linktr.ee/damongarcia Twitter: @whoisdamon Instagram: @whoisdamon Facebook: /TheDamonGarcia/
#50
June 12 · 1 hr 19 min
Your Questions Matter - A Conversation with Will Rose & Thomas Johnston
There’s a widespread perception that faith and science are at war, but I think the reality is much more nuanced than that oppositional positioning. In this episode, I’m talking with Will Rose and Thomas Johnston. They're two pastors who started a podcast called Your Matter Matters because they share conviction that curiosity is not the enemy of belief. We get into AI, public health, wonder, the pandemic, and what it actually looks like to have honest conversations about faith and science in a community that’s scared of both. And in case you didn’t notice, we just hit a milestone: episode number fifty of Personalist Manifesto(s). For those who have been on this personalist journey from the start, thanks for all your support. For those who are recent additions, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. And for those who might want to join the contemplative revolution, who’s inviting them in? Maybe you can help me with that. Review, comment, share, subscribe, support financially… you know what I mean. Your Matter Matters YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mRTwUOJO3Q&list=PLp_AwoZ2W80k8WEWLYYXmJNSZkaYoWRSX Your Matter Matters Podcast: https://your-matter-matters.captivate.fm/ Will Rose is an ELCA Lutheran Pastor serving as Parish Pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and Lutheran Campus Ministry in Chapel Hill NC. Will is a life long surfer and sci-fi/comic book geek who loves to engage at the intersection of both Faith and Science and Pop-culture and Theology. When not shepherding his congregation, surfing, or traveling with family, he helps co-host the podcasts Systematic Geekology and Across the Birfrost, the Mighty Thor Podcast. Holy Trinity Lutheran: https://www.holytrinitychapelhill.org/ Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science & Technology: ⁠https://www.luthscitech.org/⁠ Thomas's Bio & Links Pastor Thomas Johnston serves at St. James Lutheran Church, Rockwell, North Carolina. He enjoys reading about the history of religion and science in North America and looks for ways to bring the conversation into the parish. AI & Humanity (essay): https://www.luthscitech.org/ai-and-humanity/ Handling Religion and Public Policy Conversations With Care (essay): https://www.luthscitech.org/handling-conversations-with-care-where-religion-and-public-policy-meet/
#49
May 21 · 2 hr 8 min
Peace & Politics - A Conversation with Tripp Fuller & Myron Penner
Peace. It sounds simple, right? But what happens when the idea of peace becomes a weapon? In this conversation, my friends Myron Penner and Tripp Fuller pull back the curtain on one of the most quietly complicated tensions in religious community life: the space between preaching peace and practicing it. We talk about peace church communities, long celebrated for their pacifist roots, and ask a harder question: when does a commitment to peace cause us to start protecting the wrong things? And as we wrestle with that question, we talk about what it actually takes to build something real. Peace that's rooted in justice, not just the absence of noise. This one is going to challenge some assumptions. Tripp's Bio & Links Tripp Fuller is a podcaster, theologian, minister and competitive home brewer. Currently, he is visiting Professor of Theology at Luther Seminary. He received his PhD in Philosophy, Religion, and Theology at Claremont Graduate University. For over 12 years Tripp has been doing the Homebrewed Christianity podcast where he interviews different scholars about their work so you can get nerdy in traffic, on the treadmill, or doing the dishes. Last year it had over 3 million downloads. It also inspired a book series with Fortress Press called the Homebrewed Christianity Guides to topics like God, Jesus, Spirit, Church History and so on. Check out Tripp's work at: Website Substack BlueSky Podcast Myron's Bio & Links Myron Penner is Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Anabaptist-Mennonite Centre for Faith and Learning at Trinity Western University (TWU). He began working at TWU in 2005. He completed his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Purdue University in 2007. Myron's primary research areas are epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion but also has interests in philosophy of science and twentieth-century analytic philosophy. Check out Myron's work at: Website
#48
May 4 · 1 hr 9 min
AI & Our Existence - A Conversation with Noreen Herzfeld & Benjamin Chicka
In this episode, I'm joined by two theologians who are asking important questions about technology—including AI: Noreen Herzfeld and Benjamin Chicka. You'll get to know them as our conversation unfolds, but a little context first. This is actually a follow-up. The last time the three of us got together publicly was at Theology Beer Camp, and the response was overwhelming. There were so many questions we simply couldn't get to them all. So, we booked a second conversation to finish what we started. This is that conversation. Noreen Herzfeld is Reuter Professor of Science and Religion at St. John’s University and senior research associate with ZRS Koper. A theologian and computer scientist, she is the author of several books, including The Artifice of Intelligence: Divine and Human Relationship in a Robotic Age and In Our Image: Artificial Intelligence and the Human Spirit. Benjamin J. Chicka is Lecturer in Philosophy and Religious Studies at Curry College in Milton, MA. He is a philosophical theologian whose work connects classical American pragmatism, process theology, and ground-of-being theology. Such bridge-building between supposedly incompatible positions reflects his conviction that intrareligious pluralism is as important as interreligious pluralism for the future of theology. He is the author of God The Created and Playing as Others. Additional Links Listen to the initial AI panel here. Learn more about the 2026 Ellul society conference here. Learn more about Theology Beer Camp 2026 here.
#47
April 18 · 1 hr 8 min
Asceticism, Emotions & Disability - A Conversation With Petre Maican
In this episode, I speak with Petre Maican, an Eastern Orthodox theologian who’s applying the richness of his faith tradition to questions about disability—not only to inspire important theological conversations, but also to change how Orthodox churches approach community and disability on the ground. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Petre’s serious about this work. He’s responsible for two—not one, but two!—books on the topic. The first is one he authored (The Aesthetics of Emotion, the other is one he edited (Disability in the Greek Patristic Tradition). Bio Dr. Petre Maican is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Eastern Christian Studies at Radboud University in the Netherlands. He holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from the University of Aberdeen, along with an M.Th. and B.Th. from the University of Bucharest in Romania. His academic career includes roles as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Aberdeen and as a Postdoctoral Researcher at UCLouvain in Belgium. Dr. Maican has published extensively on ecumenism, ecclesiology, and disability theology. He is the author of Asceticism of Emotions: An Eastern Orthodox Approach to Inclusion and Deification and Modern Orthodox Theology: Introduction to Contemporary Debates, and editor of Disability in the Greek Patristic Tradition. Links Asceticism of Emotions (book): https://www.amazon.ca/Asceticism-Emotions-Orthodox-Approach-Inclusion-ebook/dp/B0DYWJCLBD Disability in the Greek Patristic Tradition (edited book): https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/disability-in-the-greek-patristic-tradition-9781978717077/ Website: https://www.petremaican.org/ Instagram: @orthodoxdisabilitytheology Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Orthodox-Disability-Theology/61576371389072/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/orthodoxdisabilitytheology
#46
March 20 · 1 hr 26 min
Mutant Socialists Strike Back - Another Bad Leftist Conversation with David Moscrop and Jeff Wheeldon
The Mutant Socialists are back. We’re here to dig deeper into how we became bad leftists, David’s home, power, and appliance troubles, what it means to be mutant socialist, and what this has to do with living in a world on fire right now. In fact, here’s a quote from something David said near the tail end of our conversation that struck me like a bolt of lightning as I was editing what you’re about hear: We’re sort of on a knife’s edge. We don’t know what’s going to happen in Greenland. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the United States, whether that country gets torn apart by civil war or other sorts of conflicts—that’s happened before. People think of the United States and think it could never happen, but everything that can happen has and will happen in the United States. We go back through American history. These things that seem so extraordinary and impossible to us now are just written on page after page. - David Moscrop We recorded this episode on January 29, 2026. So David’s reflections appear to be prophetic. Anything that can happen in the United States will happen, including joining forces with Israel to attack Iran. And what will happen next? I ask that question with a fair amount of fear. At the same time, I’m grateful that there are people like Jeff and David in the world to talk to, to make me feel less alone, and to have hope—despite all the dread-inducing things going on in our world—that there actually is something we—them, you, and I—can do that changes the world around us for the better. I hope this conversation offers you a similar hope. Bios David's Book: Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones: https://gooselane.com/products/too-dumb-for-democracy David's Substack: www.davidmoscrop.com David's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/davidmoscrop.com David's Twitter: @David_Moscrop Jeff's Substack: https://substack.com/@jeffwheeldon Jeff's blog: https://jeffwheeldon.ca/blog/ Jeff's publications: https://sociologyandchristianity.org/index.php/jsc/article/view/281
#46
March 6 · 49 min
Outsider Art - A Conversation with Andy Squyres
In this episode I speak with troubadour, devotional essayist, meme prophet, junk food and soft drink connoisseur, Andy Squyres. I’ve been listening to Andy’s music for a while and recently picked up a copy of one of his mixed media volume of essays titled Poet/Priest—a great way to describe Andy’s art, or better yet, his vocation. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, so I won’t try to summarize everything we talk about. Instead, I’ll let what we talk about speak for itself, as two outsiders like Andy and me get into Mountain Dew, coffee, Steinbeck, music, humour, prophecy, and... faith, hope, and love. Bio Andy Squyres is a musician and writer who has a deep appreciation for junk food, sports, theology, largemouth bass, Grapes of Wrath, and The Brothers Karamazov. Links Website: https://andysquyres.com/ Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1zs56l8qWxeDZ5aBAulSJU Substack: https://substack.com/@andysquyres Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/andysquyres
#45
February 20 · 1 hr 29 min
Migrant God - A Conversation with Isaac Samuel Villegas
There is a lot of talk about immigration these days, but Isaac Samuel Villegas, a pastor and author of Migrant God: A Christian Vision for Immigrant Justice, does more than talk about immigration. He lives his life in a way that takes seriously what Jesus tell us in the gospels: the Incarnate Word of God is not only with the migrant, he is the migrant in our midst. So Isaac speaks, writes, and acts with a prophetic and pastoral mixture of realism and hope. And in this episode, we talk about Isaac’s book and the stories and theology that shape it. Bio Isaac Villegas is an ordained minister in the Mennonite Church USA who is involved in the work of community organizing for immigrant justice. He is the author of Migrant God: A Christian Vision for Immigrant Justice. He is also a contributing editor for The Christian Century. He has served as president of the NC Council of Churches and on the denominational board of the Mennonite Church USA. He grew up in the borderlands of the U.S. southwest as a child of Latin American immigrants. He currently lives in Durham, North Carolina. Links Migrant God (book): https://www.eerdmans.com/9781467468695/migrant-god/ Website: https://isaacvillegas.com
#44
February 4 · 1 hr 19 min
Despair & Consolation - A Conversation with Andy Root
In this conversation, fellow theologian and sports commentator Andy Root returns to the show to talk about his latest book Evangelism in an Age of Despair—the title of a book that, for an Ellulian like me who is looking for hope in a world filled with despair, raises my eyebrows and gets me to lean in. My guess is that hearing this title will have a similar effect for a lot of people tuned into Personalist Manifesto(s). The other thing I should mention is that Andy and I recorded this conversation December 12, 2025 at 1:30pm Pacific time. It is important to mention that date and time because it proves—or at the very least implies—that Andy and I have prophetic giftings when it comes to the National Hockey League. Because, when Andy asks me at the start of our conversation if I think former Canucks defencemen Quinn Hughes will be traded, I confirm my suspicion, with some reasons given for that intuition, as does Andy. And for those of you how follow hockey, you will know that shortly after this ‘prophetic word’ from Andy and I Quinn Hughes was indeed traded… within hours… to the Minnesota Wild… Andy’s hometown hockey team. So, you know, maybe if this whole theology thing doesn’t work for us, maybe we have promising careers in hockey predictions ahead of us.Whether that’s actually true or not is beside the point, though. The real point of our conversation is less about hockey trades and more about finding some consolation, and some hope, in world overrun by despair. Bio Andrew Root is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, USA. He writes and researches in areas of theology, ministry, culture and younger generations. His most recent books are Evangelism in an Age of Despair (Baker, 2025), The Church in an Age of Secular Mysticisms (Baker, 2023), Churches and the Crisis of Decline (Baker, 2022), The Congregation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2021), The End of Youth Ministry? (Baker, 2020), The Pastor in a Secular Age: Ministry to People Who No Longer Need God (Baker, 2019), Faith Formation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2017), and Exploding Stars, Dead Dinosaurs, and Zombies: Youth Ministry in the Age of Science (Fortress Press, 2018). Links Evangelism in an Age of Despair (book): https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781540968715_evangelism-in-an-age-of-despair Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ministry-in-a-secular-age-featuring-dr-andrew-root/id1462822741 Website: https://www.andrewroot.org/ Twitter: https://x.com/rootandrewFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.root/
#43
January 19 · 1 hr 39 min
Recovering People - A Conversation with Quentin Genuis
'Addiction' is a word that conjures up so many images, ideas, and reactions in so many people. And because it has become so politicized, stigmatized, misunderstood, and/or dealt with poorly, it can be difficult to discern the addiction signals from the addiction noise these days. That's why I find the perspective of Quentin Genius—so helpful and refreshing. Not only is Quentin an ER doctor at Saint Paul’s Hospital in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada—and consequently embedded within a veritable world of addiction—he’s a theologian, ethicist, and an avid reader of Dostoevsky and poetry. In other words, Quentin is a rare bread; a real Renaissance man who can speak to the realities of addiction in a way that is informed, compassionate, insightful, practical, and even... hopeful. So, if you find yourself wrestling with the reality of addiction in one way or another, my hope is that you’ll find this conversation helpful. And if you or someone you know are struggling with addiction, reach out to someone you trust, make a call to a crisis line, or jump online and search for support wherever you are. Because hear me, really hear me, when I say this: there is no such thing as a lost cause. There really is hope. Freedom from addiction is possible. Something as seemingly simple and inconsequential as friendship, friendship with God and other people, really can move us closer and closer to this kind of hope and freedom. Bio Dr. Quentin Genuis is an emergency physician and ethicist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. He serves as the physician ethicist for Providence Health Care, and is a Sessional Faculty and the Professional in Residence at Regent College in Vancouver, where he teaches on topics including medical ethics and addiction. Links Website: https://quentingenuis.com Recovering People (book): https://wipfandstock.com/9798385231232/recovering-people/
#42
January 8 · 1 hr 40 min
Tattoos, Traditions & Transformation - A Conversation with Nick Boyczuk
To kick off a new year, and the first episode of 2026, I’ve got a special treat for you: an on location dialogue with none other than Nick Boyczuk, the founder and proprietor of Electric Eagle Tattoo Shop, and as you may have heard me mention in other episodes: my very own tattoo artist. In this sense, our conversation is about as personal (and weirdly personalist) as you can get. In fact, at one point in the conversation, it occurred to me that having Nick on the podcast is like having my therapist on the podcast. Except in this case, it’s my salty languaged therapist who draws on me with a tattoo rig made from electric doorbell components (the old school, traditional way). But there’s more to our conversation than tattoo talk among trauma-bonded buds here. There’s conversation about creativity; about commitment; about discipline; about tradition; about listening; about care; about courage; about growth; and about… God. All the elements, in other words, of the kinds of conversations you normally hear on Personalist Manifesto(s). Bio Nick's a mustachioed, deep thinking, fast working tattoo artist who lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia, with his wife, kids, and cats. Links Nick's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickboyczuktattoo/ Electric Eagle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electriceagletattoo/ Nick's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Nick-Boyczuk-Tattoo-61559196154551 To book with Nick, email: nickboyczuktattoo@gmail.com
#41
Dec 23, 2025 · 1 hr 32 min
A Robot Advent(ure) - A Conversation With Tripp Fuller and Paul Hoard About AI and the Christmas Story
In this final episode of 2025, I’m joined by Tripp Fuller from Homebrewed Christianity and Paul Hoard from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. We talk about the Christmas story, and how, in so many ways, it moves in the opposite direction of the stories being told by artificial intelligence prophets, power brokers, and profiteers today. So, wherever you are at in this advent season, I hope this conversation brings you a bit of hope as it reminds you of what it is to be human, what love truly is, and how, even when it seems so dark out there, the light of the world really has overcome that darkness. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I’ll see you in 2026. Bios Tripp Fuller is a podcaster, theologian, minister and competitive home brewer. Currently, he is visiting Professor of Theology at Luther Seminary. He received his PhD in Philosophy, Religion, and Theology at Claremont Graduate University. For over 12 years Tripp has been doing the Homebrewed Christianity podcast where he interviews different scholars about their work so you can get nerdy in traffic, on the treadmill, or doing the dishes. Last year it had over 3 million downloads. It also inspired a book series with Fortress Press called the Homebrewed Christianity Guides to topics like God, Jesus, Spirit, Church History and so on. Paul Hoard, PhD, LMHC, is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and associate professor of counseling psychology at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. His work sits at the intersection of Lacanian theory, theology, and culture, examining how desire, disgust, trauma, sexuality, and play shape our lives and imaginations. He maintains a clinical practice, provides supervision for therapists integrating psychoanalysis and theology, and is the co-author (with his sister Billie Hoard) of Eucontamination: Disgust Theology and the Christian Life, a book that reimagines the theological logic of disgust as a site of transformation rather than exclusion. Tripp's Links Website: https://www.homebrewedchristianty.com/ Substack: https://processthis.substack.com/ Bluesky: @trippfuller.bsky.social Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/homebrewed-christianity/id276269040 Paul's Links Substack: https://paulhoard.substack.com/ Paul's Book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385213726/eucontamination/
#40
Nov 25, 2025 · 1 hr 13 min
Mutant Socialists Assemble! - A Bad Leftist Conversation with David Moscrop and Jeff Wheeldon
In this episode, I speak with two returning guests, political columnist and commentator David Moscrop and politician Jeff Wheeldon. As you’ll discover, the origin story for what you’ll about to hear kicked off when David used the terms 'mutant socialist' and 'bad leftist' in our previous conversation. There was something about those terms, and the thoughts surrounding them, that helped me feel very seen and understood. And it also reminded me a lot of the conversation I had with Jeff on this show. The three of us all lean to the left in our politics, but that doesn’t mean we feel totally at home within what constitutes ‘The Left’ today. And for me personally, this reality actually goes a fairly long way in accounting for why I started Personalist Manifesto(s): to explore what it could look like to venture into uncharted political territory in our fraught right, left, and centre, landscape today. And so, I thought, “Well… Maybe I—maybe we—are mutant socialists?” And then, the idea for this assembly was born: a mutant socialist assembly, a bad leftist conversation, where we talk politics in ways that do and don’t fit with many of the options on offer today, and we see if that resonates with ourselves and anyone listening. We cover a lot of ground here: 90s pop culture, technology, institutions, localized politics, and lots in between. And we hope, in covering this ground, you feel encouraged to practice touch the grass, love your neighbour, politics wherever you happen to be. And so with that, here’s my conversation with David and Jeff—the mutant socialist crew. Bios David Moscrop is a politics columnist, commentator, and author of Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions And How We Can Make Better Ones. His work has appeared in outlets including Globe and Mail, the Washington Post, the Walrus, Time Magazine, the Guardian, and Jacobin. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia. Jeff Wheeldon blogs on municipal politics, and still occasionally publishes essays on politics, religion, and sociology. Links David's Book: Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones: https://gooselane.com/products/too-dumb-for-democracyDavid's Substack: www.davidmoscrop.com David's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/davidmoscrop.com David's Twitter: @David_Moscrop Jeff's blog: https://jeffwheeldon.ca/blog/ Jeff's publications: https://sociologyandchristianity.org/index.php/jsc/article/view/281
#39
Nov 14, 2025 · 1 hr 7 min
Remnant Witnessing - A Conversation with Jane Barter
When genocides and political atrocities take place, it has become common for people to assemble in public, bear witness to what has happened, and address those events to reach a sense of… what, exactly? Awareness? Truth? Understanding? Closure? Reconciliation? Healing? Reparation? Change? And if these—or something else—are the aims of these assemblies, do they actually achieve these goals? Enter Jane Barter, and her new book Theopolitics and the Era of the Witness, to explore these and so many other important questions related to a phenomenon that has become so typical of our time that it is rare to encounter people thinking as deeply, and speaking as meaningfully to these questions as Jane does. Bio Jane Barter (she/her) is Professor of Religion and Culture at the University of Winnipeg. She has published three monographs, including her a recent book on witnessing to political atrocity, Theopolitics and the Era of the Witness (Routledge. 2025). She recently co-edited (with Doris Kieser, St. Joseph’s College, University of Alberta) a special volume of the Journal of Moral Theology on the papal visit and apology to survivors of Residential Schools in Canada. She is also general editor of the forthcoming (2026) multi-volume T & T Clark Encyclopedia of Christian Theology (Bloomsbury Press). Links Jane's new book: https://www.routledge.com/Theopolitics-and-the-Era-of-the-Witness/Barter/p/book/9781032615035
#38
Oct 31, 2025 · 58 min
Jesus Was... - A Conversation with Susy Flory and Scott Johanningsmeier
It’s amazing and terrifying how one small sentence posted online at a particular moment in a particular context can spread like wildfire, and result in a book. In this case, it was the sentence Jesus was non-violent, posted by Susy Flory on Facebook during the Covid-19 pandemic and the January 6 Insurrection that started the fire and led to a book. In this conversation, I speak with Susy and Scott Johanningsmeir, editors of the recent published book Jesus Was: Not What We Expected But Better Than We Imagined where we not only get the origin story for the book, but we also reflect on how some of the most important things in life, including the Christian life, can be hidden in plain sight. So whether you identify as a Christian or not, I encourage you to listen to this conversation. It might re-introduce you, or introduce you for the first time, to the revolutionary, and kind, Jesus. Who not only was, but is, and is to come. Bios and Links Susy Flory is a New York Times best-selling author or coauthor of eighteen books, directs West Coast Christian Writers, and is the founder of Everything Memoir with Susy Flory. Her book The Unbreakable Boy became a feature film in wide release in March, 2025. Susy earned a master’s degree in New Testament at Northern Seminary and is finishing up her doctoral studies on women writers in the ancient world, including the New Testament era. She lives in Northern California. Check out Susy’s Substack, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Scott Johanningsmeier is a bivocational pastor at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Southern Indiana. He has a bachelor’s degree in music technology from Indiana University and a master’s degree in New Testament from Northern Seminary. Outside of ministry, he works in the technology installation industry. He and his wife have two daughters. Check out Scott’s Substack and follow him on Facebook and LinkedIn. Oh, and pick up a copy of the Jesus Was: Not What We Expected But Better Than We Imagined book here.
#37
Oct 14, 2025 · 58 min
I Didn't Believe The Beatles - A Conversation with Erv Klassen
As you’ll hear in this conversation, this episode started with a collegial back-and-forth about a footnote concerning punk rock. I was reviewing my friend Erv Klassen’s Doctor of Ministry project on hope, and he took an excellent side quest at the bottom of one of his pages to talk about the birth of punk rock. Don’t you just love it when music fans get into hairsplitting conversations (i.e. arguments) about who started what and when and how they started it? I know I do. Well, sometimes. And then at other times, I don’t. Either way, what I love about this footnote is that it started an offline conversation that started the podcast dialogue that you’re about hear—and maybe one day, it’ll result in a micro-course on theology and punk rock. We’ll see. But for the time being, my conversation with Erv is about punk rock, and what that has to do with hope and theology. The funny thing is, Jacques Ellul wrote about punk rock (and disco) in his book Empire of Non-Sense. And here’s what he says in a footnote: "These pages were written well before the appearance of punk and disco. But these movements are nothing more than the confirmation and continuation of the previous movement of insignificance congealed by the hypnotic effect of technique. The sounds, the shouts, the gesticulations, the frenzied outbursts, the throbbing, the fragmentation are in reality perfectly stereotyped and express a programmed type of music. The sounds that burst forth do not express any “emotion” in spite of what one says; they simply produce an instant of mind-altered happiness. One must not forget that after punk the emotionless style prevails. After the anarchy and spontaneity of punk comes, not with a tip of the scale but with the continuation of the same tendency, a frozen, rigid, and petrified style. It is not for nothing that one hears “Do the Mussolini,” a derive appeal to Fascism, and constant appeal to death, “I wish I could die…” What causes this completely depersonalized and neutralized ethos and a glorification of militarism? So, clearly, Ellul wasn’t a fan—at least not of nihilistic synth-punk bands. Fair enough. But the question he asks “what causes this…?” can lead in all sorts of directions, and not all in the ways Ellul proposes here. There are other, more hopeful directions, that punks can take. And in this episode, Erv and I try to articulate what those other directions may be. Bio Erv Klassen is the Registrar and Assistant Academic Dean at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford. He teaches in the areas of Spiritual Formation and Christian History. Erv is passionate about old books like medieval Christian devotional literature, and loves introducing these spiritual classics to others. He has worked at Columbia since 2008 following his work as a youth pastor and many summers working at summer camp. He loves playing modern board games, listening to rock and roll, reading Superman comics, flying kites, and birdwatching. He and his family live in Hope (figuratively and literally). Links Erv's Doctor of Ministry Project on Hope: https://actsseminaries.com/assets/main/klassen---hope-dmn-project-final-version-with-signatures.pdf A Non-Comprehensive Punk Rock Playlist in No Specific Order • Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 • The Clash - London Calling • The Go-Gos - Beauty and the Beat • Greenday - American Idiot (2004) • Iggy and the Stooges - Raw Power • Patti Smith - Horses • The Ramones - Ramones • Talking Heads - 77 • The Clash - London Calling • Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks • The Jam - In the City • Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures • New Order - Movement • Black Flag - Damaged • Minor Threat - First Two Seven Inches • Fugazi - 13 Songs • Bad Brains - Rock for Light • Refused - Shape of Punk to Come • At the Drive - Relationship of Command • Blink-182 - Cheshire Cat • Blink-182 - Dude Ranch
#36
Oct 9, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
Music Outside the Gates - A Conversation with Joshua Leventhal
This is episode 36 of Personalist Manifesto(s), and to tell you the truth, I’m a bit surprised it has taken this long to feature a longform conversation about music. Music has come up in other episodes, of course, but this is the first time I’ve done full-length talk about something so close to my heart. Because of that, it makes total sense that I’d have my friend, Joshua Leventhal, a worship pastor, songwriter, and performer to talk all things music—including, what it’s like making a go at being a career musician when streaming and social media have totally changed the way music is made and shared in and industry that can be so wonderful, and so depressing, at the same time. Oh, and another thing. Speaking of music, next week’s episode is also going to be about music. Punk rock, in fact. So stay tuned for that. And so with that, here’s my conversation with Josh. Bio Joshua Leventhal is a songwriter and artist who makes music unto Jesus. His desire is to express full honesty in his lyricism without betraying reverence or hope. He wants to give people words for things they've always felt, but never had the words to express. Joshua is American-born but Canadian-raised; he is married to fellow creative Kaitlyn Rose, and they are based outside of Vancouver BC. He has won GMAs for both album of the year and song of the year, and was nominated for a Juno for Gospel Album of the Year. Links Music: joshualeventhal.com/releases YouTube: youtube.com/@joshualeventhal Tour: joshualeventhal.com/tour Website: joshualeventhal.com Additional Links Redwall: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/DUI/redwall/ Ebert Reviews: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews Violence in the Old Testament Micro-Course: https://nbseminary.ca/academics/life-long-learning/violence-in-the-old-testament/ Political Theology Micro-Course: https://nbseminary.ca/academics/life-long-learning/christians-and-politics/ Karl Barth Theology Symposium: https://nbseminary.ca/theology-on-fire/
#35
Oct 2, 2025 · 32 min
Earthbound - A Conversation with Grace Ji-Sun Kim
In this episode, Grace Ji-Sun Kim becomes the first ever returning guest on this show—and in this conversation, we talk about her new book Earthbound: God at the Intersection of Climate and Justice. Grace’s book offers a transformative vision of divine presence that calls us to active, restorative justice in a world crying out for restoration. Now, two things about this recording. First, it’s audio only (although you can watch a YouTube video with some nice looking audio waves if you want some nice visuals). Second, there might be a bit of background noise here and there. I had to record this conversation on the fly at a conference in between keynote talks Grace was giving and panels she was speaking on. In fact, right after this conversation ended, Grace had to run to panel session.Still, it feels right that this conversation is an unvarnished field recording. It has the spirit of The Spirit. You know, the one who is like the wind, blowing wherever, whenever and out of our control. So hopefully our this dialogue helps you hear the wind of the Spirit, and respond with care for the creation that the Spirit is breathing life into.BioGrace Ji-Sun Kim is Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion and the author/editor of 24 books, including Earthbound, Feminist Theologies: The Basics, When God Became White, Surviving God, Christianity in North America, Spirit Life, Invisible, Hope in Disarray, Keeping Hope Alive, Intersectional Theology, and Healing our Broken Humanity. She received her M.Div. from Knox College (University of Toronto) and her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. She is also an ordained minister of word and sacrament within the Presbyterian (USA) denomination.LinksEarthbound (new book): https://orbisbooks.com/products/earthbound-god-at-the-intersection-of-climate-and-justiceFeminist Theologies: The Baisics (co-authored new book): https://www.routledge.com/Feminist-Theologies-The-Basics/Shaw-Ji-SunKim/p/book/9781032643908Website: https://gracejisunkim.wordpress.com/Substack: https://gracek.substack.com/Podcast: https://www.christiancentury.org/podcast/madang
#34
Sep 16, 2025 · 1 hr 26 min
Touch the Grass Politics - A Conversation with David Moscrop
The introduction to this episode was recorded at 11:17am, On September 15, 2025 Pacific Time. The conversation with politics columnist, commentator, and author David Moscrop ⁠in this episode was recorded at 11:00am Pacific time on August 29, 2025 Pacific Time. I am sharing these dates and times with you so you get a sense of the timeline for, or the lead up to, David and I’s initial conversation, and what has happened between that dialogue and now. I am, of course, referring to the murder of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, and the apprehension of the murder suspect a few days ago. If I am being totally honest with you, I was not and am not sure if it is right to mention this here. On the one hand, I do not want to add to the noise or capitalize upon this tragedy, or any tragedy, in order to get attention. On the other hand, to not mention anything seems to run against the grain of the Personalist Manifesto(s) project as a whole, and the topics discussed in this particular conversation—which, as it happens, I had planned to post when I am posting it before any of what I am referring to took place. Strange, if not unnerving, how time, intention, and circumstance interact, isn’t it? And how will they interact in the day to come? I don’t know. I really, truly, don’t know. But as a proponent of non-violent resistance to evil in any form it assumes, I want to clearly and public denounce violence here, within this context, and any other past, present, or future instance of violence that does and does not receive media attention. So, my hope is that this conversation, and others like it on Personalist Manifesto(s), bear witness to these convictions. In so doing, I hope to offer both a critical and constructive account of how you, I, and anyone else listening or watching, can put our feet on the grass, and love our neighbour in local, immediate, and tangible ways. Take care of yourself, okay? And take care of your neighbour, whomever they are. Peace be with you. All of you. Bio David Moscrop is a politics columnist, commentator, and author of Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions And How We Can Make Better Ones. His work has appeared in outlets including Globe and Mail, the Washington Post, the Walrus, Time Magazine, and the Guardian. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia. Links David's Book: Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones: https://gooselane.com/products/too-dumb-for-democracy Substack: www.davidmoscrop.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/davidmoscrop.com Twitter: @David_Moscrop Additional Links Jacques Ellul, Autopsy of Revolution: https://wipfandstock.com/9781606089774/autopsy-of-revolution/ Samuel Caramela, "Billionaires Are Building Luxury Bunkers to Escape Doomsday": https://www.vice.com/en/article/billionaires-are-building-luxury-bunkers-to-escape-doomsday/ Abby Livingston, "Ted Cruz says leaving Texas during winter disaster was "obviously a mistake" as he returns from Cancún": https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/18/ted-cruz-cancun-power-outage/ Interstellar clip on pioneers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Wltu5hfPU Austin Powers clip on slow, avoidable death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PrZ-J7D3k
#33
Sep 11, 2025 · 49 min
Sports, Community & Jesus - A Conversation with Andrew Blaine
In this conversation, I speak with my friend, and sports super fan, Andrew Blaine. Sports talk has come up here and there on this show—usually when I am lamenting the ongoing losses and heartbreaks that come with being a Vancouver Canucks fan—but this is the first episode where sport is spoken about at length. What you may come to see as the conversation progresses, however, is that sports for Andrew are about more than sports. Sports are about community, relationship, and… a God who meets us, and changes us, in and through communities and relationships—within churches, yes, but also beyond churches too. And so with that, here’s my conversation with Andrew. Bio Andrew Blaine is a sports super fan who loves Jesus and has a passion for community. Links Instagram: @_andrewblaine0441 Trinity Western Spartans: https://gospartans.ca/

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes