Archived: For the Good of the Public

Michael and Phebe wrap up this season of For the Good of the Public podcast with a talk by James Catford, founding board chair for the CCPL. James shares how spiritual practice is not at odds with activism and public leadership, but rather our spiritual formation is about the very well we have to draw on for our public engagement. He shares practical wisdom to remind us to listen to the longings of the heart and remember the motivations of our service in the first place.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Ending on this talk is hopefully something that reminds you that you are more than the work that you do. While your work is so valuable, you are a person and a human first.” -Phebe [01:43]

“I think what James gets at here is a level of integration… You take your spirit with you when you protest. You take your spirit with you when you’re knocking on doors or drafting that policy or having a conversation around the dinner table, around politics and civic issues.” -Michael [03:03]

“Well don’t leave your hunger, your longings, unsupervised. Don’t allow your longings to be put to one’s side. Listen to the longings of the heart. Because if you don’t, you will hit what some people have called the wall.” -James [15:15]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[05:23] Who formed you?

[11:32] Black and white vs Color

[14:24] Listen to the longings of the heart

[19:22] The importance of spiritual formation

[23:02] How activists can practice spirituality

[28:34] Pray with me

[29:47] Outro

REFERENCES

• For the Good of the Public Summit
• James Catford, founding board chair for the CCPL
• British Bible Society
• Theos
• Renovaré
• SPCK Publishing
• Public Life Fellowship
• The Colour of Time: A New History of the World, 1850-1960 by Dan Jones and Marina Amaral
• Richard Foster

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X: @CCPublicLife

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Podcast: For the Good of the Public

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For the Good of the Public Summit 2025

For the Good of the Public Summit '25

New Updated Feed Here!

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The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a talk by Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO of ONE Campaign. Ndidi shares the vision she sees for the future of Africa and the role the ONE Campaign has played to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table. She takes us through the organization’s history of fighting for justice and equity and her personal motivation that is grounded in humility, curiosity and upholding the dignity of all people.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“(Ndidi’s) really one of the most compelling social entrepreneurs that I’ve come across in my life.” -Michael [00:26]

“So much of the advocacy and the wins that the ONE Campaign has had over the last two decades of their work have been grounded in faith-based activism and have been the result of faith leaders, pastors, Christian artists coming together to advocate for the end of global poverty.” -Phebe [02:29]

“What we want to do under my leadership is really invite people who are sitting across the aisle to connect in a deeply human level. A level where we see each other, where we trust each other, but where we also believe we’re here on assignment. And where we are here because we have a legacy that is bigger and deeper than our own.” -Ndidi [12:20]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:43] History of ONE Campaign

[08:07] Ndidi’s vision for Africa

[13:30] Humanity and equity

[17:06] Outro

REFERENCES

• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO of ONE Campaign
• Drop the Debt campaign
• President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
• TED Talk: The role of faith and belief in modern Africa

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Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

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Podcast: For the Good of the Public

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Liz Tenety, co-founder of Motherly and Founding Women, moderates a conversation on creating a culture of care with Elissa Strauss, journalist and author of “When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others,” Joe Waters, co-founder and CEO of Capita, Tim Carney, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and Dr. Charles Daniels Jr., founder and CEO of Fathers’ Uplift. The panelists explore what it means to have a culture of care in this country and how it relates to today’s concept of care, drawing from their professional experiences and personal journeys with parenthood. They dig into the practical solutions that would approach care in a more humane way, both on a policy level and a community level.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Caregiving is a hot topic. It’s on the campaign trail right now. It’s in the headlines, but there’s such depth to what we need around caregiving.” -Liz [07:44]

“I believe that care consists of various peoples–aunties, uncles, teachers, coaches–that contribute to the being of one person. And I believe that it’s mutually beneficial. I think members of their culture have someone to contribute to their being. None of us arrive to this place of love and care by ourselves. It takes a village.” -Charles [13:35]

“Caring for others is self care. It is challenging and stressful and hard, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not nourishing us in other ways.” -Elissa [21:20]

“If we want to support stay-at-home parents, if we want to empower choices by parents to care for their children in the ways that they think best and align with their values, one of the most important things we can do is address the cost of housing.” -Joe [45:32]

“It’s really tough to fix this because what we have on one hand is parents who can’t afford safe, clean, reliable childcare, and the biggest input into that is the wages.” -Tim [52:15]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:04] About the panelists

[07:36] The deeper meaning of caregiving

[14:10] America’s concept of care

[21:29] Economic and cultural pressures

[25:43] The role of women

[32:05] Learning from other countries and cultures

[41:25] A more human approach to care

[51:12] Questions from the audience

[1:08:39] Outro

REFERENCES

• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Liz Tenety, co-founder of Motherly and Founding Women
• Elissa Strauss
• “When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others” by Elissa Strauss
• Joe Waters, CEO and co-founder of Capita
• Tim Carney, journalist at the Washington Examiner and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
• Dr. Charles Daniels, founder and CEO of Fathers’ Uplift
• “Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be” by Timothy P. Carney
• The Atlantic: Why Do So Many Parents Think Kids Need Their Own Bedroom?
• Child Care is Infrastructure: Evidence from Universal Pre-K
• Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg?
• Call Her Daddy: Vice President Kamala Harris
• Friendship Bench
• Invisible Labor, Visible Needs: Making Family Policy Work for Stay-At-Home (And All) Parents
• Glamour: They Raised the World’s Biggest Superstars. Now They’re Telling Their Own Stories

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Podcast: For the Good of the Public

Mentioned in this episode:

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

New Updated Feed Here!

New Podcast

For the Good of the Public Summit 2025

For the Good of the Public Summit '25

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a talk from Eduard Heger, former Prime Minister of Slovakia. Eduard shares the challenges he faced  leading Slovakia from 2021 to 2023, through the escalation of the Russian-Ukraine war, a pandemic and an energy crisis. He focuses on what is required of leaders in tumultuous times–moral, integrity and character–to help build a resilient society for a more positive and better future. 

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“What we need in this moment are leaders who are willing to tell the truth, who are honest about the challenges that their people are facing, who respond with care and compassion and have a spirit of generosity, and Eduard Heger is a leader like this.” -Phebe [01:44] 

“One of the things we try to do throughout our summit, but really throughout the whole of the work at CCPL, is help to expand and reground our imagination for what public leadership can look like, the kinds of values that can ground public leadership and motivate it.” -Michael [03:14]

“Serving politics is about serving. Nobody really believes that anymore, because they think it’s about ruling. Well we know that if you want to rule, you must start with serving, because actually serving, that’s how you rule the best. It’s not in your interest. It’s for the interest of society, of the good, of human mankind.” -Eduard [24:20]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:50] Governing Slovakia in unprecedented times

[06:59] What’s going on in the World today

[13:47] In the digital era

[17:07] Building a strong resilient society

[23:54] Serving politics

[32:02] Outro

REFERENCES

• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Eduard Heger
• Russia’s War in Ukraine: Identity, History, and Conflict

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Podcast: For the Good of the Public

Mentioned in this episode:

New Updated Feed Here!

New Podcast

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

Michael and Phebe return for the second half of Season Two of For the Good of the Public podcast with six conversations from last year’s For the Good of the Public Summit. We start this week with a talk by Romanita Hairston, CEO of M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, a 50-year-old organization that partners with non-profit organizations and community leaders around the Pacific Northwest to invest in transformational ideas that enable the region to flourish. Romanita is a respected national leader who not only guides the Murdock Trust, but shapes the entire philanthropic sector’s approach to strengthening democracy. In her talk, she shares her vision for the role philanthropy can play in shaping and supporting civic life, drawing on her experience leading the Trust, her broader philanthropic experience and her faith. She believes philanthropy can lead the way to civic renewal through these highly polarized times within a trifecta society, the civic and social sector, and its relation to faith.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Romanita is someone with real vision for the future of philanthropy." -Michael [02:57]

“One of the reasons why we wanted to host this conversation is because we believe philanthropy is an essential and powerful lever in the work towards civic renewal.” -Phebe [03:27]

“The best gift we give is love. Transforming enemies into friends, healing the divides, and honoring diversity. Not only can we all be philanthropists, we in fact, all are philanthropists, with every choice we make for our time, our resources, and our money to different degrees.” -Romanita [24:51]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:46] About the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

[09:57] Philanthropy in the tri-sector

[13:56] Philanthropy's role within the civic and social sector

[18:59] Philanthropy in faith

[22:38] In summary

[25:43] An act of prayer

[26:42] Outro

REFERENCES

• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Romanita Hairston
• M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
• Steven Garber
• Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good by Steven Garber

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

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Podcast: For the Good of the Public

Mentioned in this episode:

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

New Updated Feed Here!

New Podcast

We want to bring our communities together by combining our podcast feeds!

You can continue to stay up to date and follow For the Good of the Public Podcast at our new home HERE or search for "For the Good of the Public" on your favorite podcasting app.

For the Good of the Public brings you daily news and weekly conversations at the intersection of faith and civic life. Monday through Thursday, The Morning Five starts your day off with scripture and prayer, as we catch up on the news of the day together. Throughout the year, we air limited series on Fridays to dive deeper into conversations with civic leaders, thinkers, and public servants reimagining public life, for the good of the public.

Mentioned in this episode:

New Updated Feed Here!

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The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

Michael and Phebe close out the first half of Season Two of For the Good of the Public podcast with a benediction by Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Christianity Today, Founder and Executive Director of Soulfire International Ministries and founding board member for the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Dr. Nicole talks about hope as a metric for success and the key ingredient for having a peaceful life. Hope is part of our Christian life, and she reminds us through the inspiration of Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” why it’s important to have hope in the midst of hopefulness with God’s strength. For the Good of the Public podcast will return with new episodes in September. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Hope is something that actually makes a difference in our everyday lived realities, and it is something that is cultivated in our communities. It’s cultivated in our churches. It’s cultivated by a faith in the everlasting love and salvation of Jesus Christ. And it’s actually an essential resource for public life.” -Phebe [01:34]

“Nicole is very much someone who embodies our mission, our identity as an organization. She is an incredible leader.” -Michael [02:07]

“The challenge of our faith isn’t just to have hope in good times. The challenge of our faith is how do we have hope when everything around us looks dismal, horrible, hopeless.” -Nicole [11:06]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[02:54] About Rev. Nicole Massie Martin

[03:33] Habakkuk 3:17-19

[10:06] Hope in absolute chaos

[14:08] It’s our job to see the .1%

[18:50] Shaping us for the call

[26:16] Outro

REFERENCES

• Nicole Massie Martin
• Christianity Today
• Soulfire International Ministries
• Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender by Nicole Massie Martin
• For the Good of the Public Summit
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America by Michael Wear

CONNECT WITH US:

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Mentioned in this episode:

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

New Updated Feed Here!

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In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, we hear from Rachael Denhollander about Christian resources for confronting abuse. Rachel is an attorney, educator and author who was the first person to pursue criminal charges against Larry Nassar, USA gymnastics team’s doctor, in 2016. Her act of activism inspired other women to come forward and has turned her experience into becoming a powerful advocate and consultant about the realities of abuse. Rachael provides a stirring, challenging keynote address on what is required to build a culture that recognizes human dignity and opposes abuse. 

Content Warning: This episode contains material of a highly sensitive nature including sexual abuse that may be triggering for some individuals.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Rachael shows us how we can draw from the resources of the Christian faith to gain insights that get closer to the heart of reality than we would otherwise.” -Michael [00:49]

“One of the most meaningful aspects of the talk for me was hearing Rachael reflect on the character of God. She talks about how throughout scripture, God is referenced as a refuge and a safe place, and an ever-present help in trouble. And that is exactly what the church should be, and most importantly, the people within the church that are a safe place to come to.” -Phebe [02:27]

“What I find so beautiful as a Christian is that as Christians, we are actually uniquely positioned to speak to a culture of abuse, and to bring hope to those who have suffered devastating wounds.” -Rachael [18:32]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:01] About Rachael

[06:39] A starting point

[10:07] Who was the most helpful?

[18:51] Just and unjust

[23:23] A few framework concepts

[27:56] Outro

REFERENCES

• Rachael Denhollander
• CNN: Read Rachael Denhollander’s full victim impact statement about Larry Nassar
• What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachael Denhollander
• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

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Mentioned in this episode:

New Updated Feed Here!

New Podcast

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a panel discussion with pastors as they think about their approach to leading their congregation during this current political moment. Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Christianity Today and founding board member of CCPL, leads the discussion with Lisa Cummins, Founder of Urban Strategies, Duke Kwon, Lead Pastor at Grace Meridian Hill and co-author of Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair and Chris Butler, Director of Christian Civic Formation at CCPL and a pastor at Ambassador Church (formerly Chicago Embassy Church Network). They consider the role of clergy when it comes to politics and the local congregation. Their deep insights grounded in practical experience help show how Christian resources provide crucial support for a healthier politics that benefits from positive Christian contribution. 

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“I think there’s an important role that spiritual leaders–pastors in particular–in our calling, we are called to testify to a transcendent reality… So when our eyes are only fixed at ground level, and our conversations are only engaged in a cacophony of discording voices and vitriol and anger and fear and wrath, that deforms the soul, even of the pastor herself or himself.” -Duke [29:23]

“I think that there is an opportunity for us to begin this conversation–a healthy conversation, biblically-rooted conversation–about what it means to be politically involved using the Good Word, publicly engaged and loving our neighbors.” -Lisa [45:16]

“I’m a preacher’s kid. So I remember when we were growing up, my dad never said the name of the political candidate from the pulpit, because of fear of losing the 501(c)(3). This feels like a different age where preachers are very, very flippant. I mean, they just use anybody’s name as a positive or a negative.” -Nicole [1:02:04]

“You have to dig in and do the work to allow the Holy Spirit to give your words that are going to wake people up and not shut them down.” -Chris [1:02:56]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[07:19] Meet the panelists

[14:09] Handling political engagement

[26:16] The role that fear might play

[28:32] How to avoid co-opting to a particular agenda

[36:44] The role of the church right now

[46:31] A prophetic word

[52:56] Love your neighbor and your enemy

[55:59] Immigration and how we speak about immigrants

[59:56] Addressing political discipleship

[1:08:41] Outro

REFERENCES

• The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life by Michael Wear
• Chris Butler, Director of Christian Civic Formation at CCPL
• Ministry Leaders Interest Survey
• Christianity Today
• Soulfire International Ministries
• Urban Strategies
• Grace Meridian Hill
• Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair by Duke L. Kwon and Gregory Thompson
• Ambassador Church (formerly Chicago Embassy Church Network)
• Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement by Chris Butler, Justin Giboney, and Michael Wear
• For the Good of the Public Summit
• The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety, and Public Witness by Raphael G. Warnock

CONNECT WITH US:

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Mentioned in this episode:

New Updated Feed Here!

New Podcast

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael shares his in-depth conversation with Jessica Grose, a columnist at the New York Times, about her five-part series on how Americans think about religion today. Jessica dives into some of the trends she discovered through her reporting, and explores what Americans value, or miss, about religious experiences in modern America. Michael and Jessica also talk about Artificial Intelligence, and consider the potential for AI to help, or deepen, loneliness and social disrepair. Jessica’s approach to writing about these issues with a degree of earnest curiosity provides a fresh, essential perspective regarding how we think about religion and modern life. As a bonus: don’t miss Michael’s effusive reflections on Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. 

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“It is just so rare to have someone who is approaching these things with an attempt to look at religion with fresh eyes, and that’s what Jessica’s really able to do in this series. I think it’s what she’s able to convey in this conversation that we have.” -Michael [01:14]

“A distinct good that Jessica talks about in her interview is churches being a place where people can find meaning and belonging and enriching friendship.” -Phebe [03:35]

“The best part of it has been opening up a space for people to talk about their faith.” -Jessica [14:53]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[06:25] What Lady Bird teaches about religion

[10:12] Inspiration behind Jessica’s writing

[13:57] Her contribution to the conversation

[17:35] The role religion can play

[21:48] The “Nones” and spiritual but not religion

[26:42] AI and loneliness

[29:36] Jessica’s personal story and what’s next

[34:48] Outro

REFERENCES

• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Jessica Grose
• Jessica’s columns for the New York Times
• What Churches Offer That ‘Nones’ Still Long For By Jessica Grose
• Lady Bird
• Generation Z and the Future of Faith in America
• Wall Street Journal: More Americans Left Religion During the Pandemic
• Loneliness Is a Problem That A.I. Won’t Solve by Jessica Grose
• ‘Nobody Wants This’ Pits Jewish Women Against ‘Shiksas.’ Nobody Wins. by Jessica Grose

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Mentioned in this episode:

New Updated Feed Here!

New Podcast

Community of Young Christians in Politics

Young Christians Network

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life