Bigger Than Belief

Artificial intelligence is becoming more human-like by the day. But what happens when the people building it start asking religious leaders for moral guidance — and even raising questions about whether AI could one day deserve moral consideration of its own?

On this episode of Bigger Than Belief, Adam Duxter sits down with Professor Noreen Herzfeld, a theologian and computer scientist who has spent decades exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, faith and the human spirit.

Herzfeld breaks down why Anthropic, the company behind Claude, has been turning to religious thinkers for guidance — and why she believes there's more happening than a simple search for moral advice. She explains the controversial idea that AI could represent the next step in human evolution, why creating machines in our own image could change how we understand ourselves, and what Christianity teaches about the soul, the body and what makes us human.

Could AI become a substitute for pastors, priests or other spiritual leaders? Can a chatbot offer meaningful spiritual guidance if it's designed to agree with you? And what should Christians and people of faith make of a technology that increasingly sounds, thinks and responds like us?

Herzfeld offers a pointed warning about becoming too attached to AI — and a reminder that our deepest calling may have little to do with technology at all.

Because as artificial intelligence advances, the most important question might not be whether machines can become more human. It's whether we're forgetting what makes us human in the first place.

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What if the best way to fight poverty isn't simply giving people what they need, but helping them build something of their own?

On this episode of Bigger Than Belief, Erik Olson, CEO of Dignity Made, unpacks the company’s unconventional mission: to help coconut farmers in the Philippines escape crushing debt and poverty by creating jobs and bringing their products to consumers in the United States.

Rather than relying solely on traditional aid, Erik and his team helped build a business around the resources the community already had: coconuts. The result was Dignity Made, a company that combines economic opportunity with a commitment to human dignity.

We also explore a bigger question: What does it look like to live out your faith through your work? And how do you make a difference without making yourself the hero of someone else's story?

It's a conversation about faith, business, humility, and the power of helping people build a future they can call their own.

Learn more about Dignity Made at https://dignitymade.com.

Use code BIGGER20 for 20% off your first purchase, as mentioned in the episode.

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The Twin Cities are grappling with a troubling wave of gun violence involving young people — and few conversations are more complicated than the one surrounding Somali youth and alleged gang activity. In the days surrounding this interview, shootings in Eden Prairie and Bloomington brought the issue back into the spotlight, as law enforcement leaders called for a more coordinated regional response. So what is actually happening? Why are young people getting caught up in violence? What role are social media and guns playing? And how can a community confront a real problem without painting an entire group of people with the same brush? This week on Bigger Than Belief, Adam Duxter sits down with Imam Yusuf Abdulle, executive director of the Islamic Association of North America. Abdulle has spent years working with young people and community leaders. He strongly rejects the characterization of the violence as “Somali gang” violence, arguing that the young people involved are American kids and that the problem is ultimately a Minnesota and American problem. But he does not minimize the violence. Abdulle talks candidly about the fear and frustration inside the Somali community, the work Muslim faith leaders are doing with parents, imams and young people, the role social media may play in escalating rivalries, the availability of guns, and why some witnesses and families may be reluctant to cooperate with police. He also offers a deeply personal perspective on the violence — explaining that it “keeps me awake at night” and describing his fear that the next shooting could take the life of another young person in his community. And he makes a broader appeal: confront the people responsible for the violence, he says, but don't punish or blame innocent people who had nothing to do with it.

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What can a church do about homelessness in its own backyard? On this episode of Bigger Than Belief, Pastor Kyle Robinson of Wooddale Church joins to discuss Wooddale’s Brighter Futures initiative. It started with one simple question: What if we could help families before they became homeless? It also started with a realization - hundreds of students in Eden Prairie were homeless. In the years since, it’s led to an intervention program providing rental assistance, financial coaching and, perhaps most importantly, relationships. And best of all? It’s working. Three years. 30 families. 73 kids. Now, there’s a push to take the model statewide.

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Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz thought he knew what his life was supposed to look like. After film school at USC, he pursued a career in Hollywood, made a movie, sold television projects and was living the dream he had imagined for himself. But after becoming a father, one question wouldn't go away: “Was I put on earth to pitch horror films for the rest of my life?”

That question sent him on an unexpected journey—from Hollywood back to Jewish tradition, from Los Angeles to rabbinical school and eventually to the pulpit of Valley Beth Shalom in Southern California – one of America’s largest conservative Synagogues.

In this episode of Bigger Than Belief, Rabbi Lebovitz talks about the search for something deeper than professional success, why sacred texts can help us realize we're not alone in asking life's biggest questions, and what happens when faith and community become essential in a rapidly changing world.

He also reflects on the profound impact of October 7, the rise of antisemitism, the loss of innocence among young Jewish people, the importance of interfaith allyship, and where he finds hope in a moment of profound division.

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What happens when we stop seeing people through labels? How would things change if we saw them as individuals, each with their own story and reason for being?

On this week’s Bigger Than Belief, Adam sits down with Malika Dahir, executive director of Reviving Sisterhood (RISE), an organization dedicated to empowering and amplifying the voices of Muslim women through the Twin Cities and beyond.

Ultimately, this episode is about something bigger than any one faith or community: how we bridge divides.

Malika argues that the answer starts with something surprisingly simple—one-to-one conversations. Getting to know someone whose background, faith or identity is different from our own, listening to their story, and discovering the person behind the label.

It's a conversation about faith, identity, prejudice, redemption, community and the power of simply getting to know your neighbor.
About Bigger Than Belief: Bigger Than Belief is a weekly podcast exploring faith, belief, and religion – all through the stories of believers. With an emphasis on understanding belief through personal experience, we aim to create a conversation about faith that is fair, honest, and easy to understand - regardless of what you do (or don't) believe. We'll also take a journalistic approach to concepts and questions that are difficult to understand, while helping to make sense of current events impacting believers in our communities.

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Hamline Church Dining Hall has been serving up at the Minnesota State Fair for more than 120 years. Host Adam Duxter spoke with Senior Pastor Mariah Tollgaard live at the Great Minnesota Get-Together to hear what it takes to be so successful. Is it having the best breakfast pancakes? Maybe it's the handmade fresh daily pies? 

Pastor Tollgaard says while faith drives them, it's certainly no requirement. More than 700 congregation members volunteer every year, but they don't spend their time ministering. They are simply there to serve up a nice meal. She says she's seen all kinds of people share a meal, maybe two people that would otherwise never share the same space. 

Their discussion also touches on Operation Metro Surge, and how the community continues to heal. 

From serious, to silly, and maybe a slice of pie, it's a fun conversation-- join us on Bigger Than Belief. 

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Candace Cameron Bure has spent most of her life in the spotlight—from Full House to movies, television, podcasting and now a live tour. But in this candid conversation, she opens up about something much deeper than her career: who she is when the cameras aren't rolling.

Candace shares how becoming a wife and mother helped her discover an identity rooted not in her work, but in her relationship with God. She explains why she believes her faith isn't something she leaves at home, why she's willing to be vulnerable even when it means occasionally sharing too much, and how she has learned to draw boundaries while living a very public life.

She also talks about mistakes, apologies, redemption and the pressure of knowing that millions of people may see when you get something wrong.

It's a short but meaningful conversation about faith, identity, vulnerability and the reminder that what we do isn't necessarily who we are.

Candace Cameron Bure is currently taking her live show on the road, including a stop in Minneapolis on September 12.

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August 27, 2026, marks one year since a gunman shot into an early morning all-school mass at Annunciation Catholic Church - injuring dozens of students, teachers and parishioners - and killing 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel. On today's episode of Bigger Than Belief, Adam shares extended interview segments from WCCO-TV's on-air Annunciation special - along with personal interviews from three WCCO staff members who put those stories together. One year removed from one of the single greatest tragedies to take place in the Twin Cities, they share the impact still being felt. 

To Harper, Fletcher, your families, and your classmates - our hearts are with you. We will never forget you.

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“What happens when faith moves beyond something we believe and becomes something we actually live?

This week on Bigger Than Belief, Paul Hurckman, executive director of Venture, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, courage, service, family, and the uncomfortable places where belief becomes action.

Paul shares the story of the decision that changed his life: saying no to a cross-country bike trip — and living with that regret for years. Eventually, he learned to say yes to the unconventional, a journey that took him to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and ultimately into leadership at Venture, a faith-based justice organization working in some of the world's most unsafe, unreached, and under resourced communities.

We talk about the realities of refugee care, human trafficking, women's health and church planting, and why Paul believes the Gospel requires both proclaiming hope and responding to urgent human needs.

But this conversation isn't only about global missions. Paul gets candid about the tension between doing meaningful work around the world and being present for his wife, his five children and his neighbors. He talks about resisting the temptation to be the "hero" of his own story, the importance of listening to your neighbors, and why sometimes faith asks us to step away from comfort.

And in a particularly honest moment, Paul discusses what happens when he turns on the news and sees faith used to justify competing worldviews — and how those moments of doubt send him back to the foundations of what he believes.

From seven marathons on seven continents to the simple act of helping a neighbor move a couch, this is a conversation about what it means to live a faith that shows up. 

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