Amy Crouch is a student at Cornell University and, with her father Andy Crouch, co-author of “My Tech Wise Life: Growing Up and Making Choices in a World of Devices.” She joins Chris and Eddie to discuss what boundaries and understandings regarding technology are necessary to harness its advantages while mitigating its negative effects. Crouch bases her message around the understanding that technology is not a bad thing, but something that must be seen as a tool rather than a foundation of life. What does that look like practically? Tune in to the conversation to find out!

In this episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Lauren F. Winner, an Episcopal priest, historian, and scholar of religion who teaches at Duke Divinity School. Lauren is the author of the book “The Dangers of Christian Practice: On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage, and Sin.” In her work and in this conversation, Winner challenges the assumption that the church possesses a set of immaculate practices that will definitionally train Christians in virtue. She reflects on examples of history where practice failed to produce virtue and what should be learned as the Church pursues a more faithful future.

In this episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Tish Harrison Warren, author of Prayer in the Night. When Warren found herself at a place filled with too many questions to bear, she began to write about the empty space of night and how we can present the weariness of our souls to God. Warren discusses prayer as communion with the presence of God, a practice that shapes who we are, how we believe, and our vision of the world. We hope this episode moves you toward peace and comfort as Warren illustrates ways to draw near to God in the midst of uncertainty and fear.

In this episode, Chris and Eddie speak to John Swinton, author of “Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges.” A registered mental health nurse, Swinton has listened to the multi-layered experiences of Christians who deal mainly with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Swinton maps out what it looks like to redefine health and healing in the context of connection, he speaks to the unique resources and community that the church can offer, and he addresses the sense of abandonment that Christians feel, especially when dealing with depression.

In this episode, Chris and Eddie talk to Dr. Monica Coleman, professor of African Studies at the University of Delaware and ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Monica’s memoir “Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman’s Journey with Depression and Faith” addresses the intersections of mental illness, faith, race, and family trauma. She speaks to her rejection of and return to God, how losing her faith was a critical step to experiencing God in a brand new way, and the impact of loving friendships throughout her highs and lows. Throughout this conversation, we pray you find hope in the loyalty of God and find grace for your own story.

Chris and Eddie are joined by Dr. Russell Moore, the President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Moore’s recent article “Losing Our Religion” addresses the ways many churches do not seem to believe what they teach and the reasons many have chosen to disaffiliate from the church. Moore speaks of the ways in which he was disillusioned as a fifteen year old by Bible Belt Christianity, his journey back through fear to a genuine faith, and his courage to stand for mercy and justice in the public square. Throughout this conversation and in his work, Moore poses a hopeful vision for the future of the church rooted in the promises of Jesus rather than cultural agendas.

There comes a time in each child’s life when their role begins to shift in relation to their parents. Many daughters expand their definition of mothering when caring for their own mothers, as they learn to navigate the tension of reincorporating a loved one into a new familial environment. When forced to confront the realities of motherhood in a different light, these daughters and mothers need time for introspection to engage with the expansiveness of motherhood’s demands and joys.

Chris and Eddie talk to Julie Dotterweich Gunby, a certified nurse midwife who has delivered over 1,000 babies. Julie describes the vocation of midwifery as a way of positioning oneself to help women articulate what it means for them to birth well. She speaks to the constraints that women face when sharing their needs and desires in the midst of preparing for mothering, and she shares the importance of creating space for women to reflect upon generations of mothers who came before them. Julie encourages mothers and future mothers that they can birth with greatness of soul no matter the circumstances.

Rev. Elizabeth Hagan shares her story of infertility with us and gives us a clearer understanding of the layers of grief that come with this struggle that most do not recognize. Specifically, she speaks about ways that communities of faith can become some of the least safe places for people to deal with the struggle. Even so, Hagan also shines a light on how God’s grace can guide people through the struggle and how the desires we have to create families are God-given and should not be given up on. This conversation is purposed to inspire us all toward a more loving way of coming alongside those who struggle with this weighty topic of birth and motherhood.

In this Holy Week episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Kavin Rowe, author of Christianity’s Surprise: A Sure and Certain Hope. Rowe discusses the missing sense of imagination in American Christianity, how God’s promises for the future reach into the present, the interconnectedness of humanity, and how Christian institutions have evolved over time.

Makoto Fujimura explains how the power, mystery, and depth of art drive us to ask deeper questions. He introduces his spiritual discipline of “slow art,” speaks to the nuances of tradition, and ponders the ways art can liberate us in our cultural context. Fujimura gives us space to identify where we meet Jesus in both making and consuming. This conversation speaks to the healing gift of art as culture care, rather than a commodity.

Aimee Nezhukumatahil discusses the gift of attention as the highest form of prayer, her perception of wealth and privilege in relation to her upbringing, and what the diverse, multifaceted nature of creation says about each of us. She challenges listeners to carve out time for stillness and careful attention in order to recognize the beauty in everything. This conversation reveals the precious mysteries of God’s nature and the ways our love for God constantly prompts a response of awe and wonder.

Kiese Laymon speaks about the important role his grandmother plays in his life, the way in which the influences of our upbringing remain a part of us no matter what changes may come, and the incredible ability of art to unleash heavy truths from things we keep secret. This conversation, but more specifically Laymon’s art, speaks directly to the complexities of Mississippi in a way that helps listeners seek more understanding not just of one state, but an entire nation.

James K.A. Smith believes that what we make of the world is much more of a reflection of what we want for the world than how we think about the world. He invites us to create habits of putting ourselves in the way of things we don’t understand and making ourselves available to be encountered. By expanding our imagination, we give our souls space to carefully consider the stories we carry in our bones and the ways that those stories frame our culture.

Chris and Eddie talk to Nate Paulk and Demetrius Short, two men who have partnered together to create a shared space for meaningful community in the East Nashville area. Paulk and Short operate out of radical hospitality for their neighbors and have turned their ears toward the concerns and hopes of their community to foster spaces where people of all races can thrive. Paulk and Short discuss the importance of uncovering implicit biases, ways we can ensure that diversity is not just a box to check off, what it looks like to establish trust, and how our natural curiosity can lead to greater conversations about how to love our neighbors better.

Chris and Eddie are joined by Gregory Palmer and Bill McAlilly, two United Methodist Bishops who share a deep friendship that has been strengthened by honest and dynamic conversations about race and the church. Bishop Palmer and Bishop McAlilly urge us to think critically about what it looks like to love our neighbors, reflect honestly upon our history as a church and as a nation, and participate in multi-racial groups to discuss issues of race in a way that humanizes all of us.

Jemar Tisby joins Eddie and Chris to talk about his hope for the church to mobilize to action instead of complicity and passivity, the ways that we can use our money wisely to help bridge economic disparities, and the power of truth-telling and confession. He calls Christians to foster welcoming communities where people of color are not just offered a seat at the white table, but honored, respected, and uplifted as leaders made in the image of God.

In an age where the truth is increasingly being contorted to suit our agendas and desires for power, the challenge of a “Post Truth World” is more complex and difficult than we might imagine. Southern Methodist University Professor of Ethics, Dr. Stephen Long, joins us on The Weight for frank, in-depth conversation about the challenges of recovering the prioritization of truth in a political climate that yields it to desire for power.

We are joined by Emily Le Coz, the National Data and Investigative Editor at USA TODAY, as we continue our series on Faith and Politics. In this episode, we dig deeper into the role of journalism on both a local and national level, and we hear about the many layers of a journalist’s work in the fight for truth within the current context.

Luke Bretherton of Duke University joins Chris and Eddie to think more deeply about what Christian engagement with democracy can look like by looking to history, scripture, and theology. They discuss how politics are an intrinsic part of our daily lives that manifest not just in DC, but in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. This conversation helps us consider not just what a more holistic understanding of politics can do for Christians, but how the Church can recognize and take ownership of what it has to offer to democracy.