Give and Take

Mike Boyle has spent more than four decades helping athletes—from Olympic competitors to everyday people—move better, perform better, and stay healthy. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of functional strength training, he's never been afraid to challenge conventional wisdom or rethink his own ideas. In this episode of Give and Take, Scott Jones sits down with Mike to explore what strength is really for. Their conversation ranges from the evolution of fitness and coaching to aging well, injury prevention, intellectual humility, and why changing your mind may be one of the most important skills any coach—or any person—can develop.

Whether you're an athlete, a weekend warrior, or simply someone who wants to live a healthier, more capable life, this conversation offers practical wisdom and a fresh perspective on what it means to grow stronger.

In this episode:

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Special Guest: Mike Boyle.

What does genuine political emancipation look like in a world defined by contradiction? And what can Hegel still teach us about freedom, revolution, and the possibility of social transformation?

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott Jones sits down with philosopher Todd McGowan to discuss his provocative new book, Emancipation After Hegel: Achieving a Contradictory Revolution. Together they explore Hegel's revolutionary understanding of contradiction, why freedom isn't the absence of limits but our relationship to them, and how embracing contradiction can open new possibilities for political action.

Along the way, Scott and Todd discuss the failures of contemporary politics, the allure of utopian thinking, the importance of negativity, and why attempts to escape contradiction often leave us less free than before. They also consider what a truly emancipatory politics might require in an age marked by polarization, disillusionment, and uncertainty.

Whether you're a longtime reader of Hegel or simply curious about philosophy's relevance to today's political landscape, this conversation offers a rich and engaging exploration of one of the most influential—and misunderstood—thinkers in the Western tradition.

Special Guest: Todd McGowan.

What does it mean to be a self in an age that won’t let you stay the same? In this episode of Give and Take, Scott Jones talks with Patricia Martin about her new book Will the Future Like You?—a probing exploration of identity in a world defined by constant disruption. As technology accelerates and the pressure to adapt intensifies, Martin argues that we’ve entered an era of “hyper-reinvention,” where stability is elusive and the self can begin to feel more like a project than a reality.

Together, Scott and Patricia explore the psychological and cultural costs of this new landscape: the anxiety of endless self-optimization, the erosion of rootedness, and the quiet fear that we’re always one step behind who we’re supposed to become. But they also ask whether there’s another way—one that resists the demand to endlessly reinvent and instead recovers a deeper, more grounded sense of identity.

This is a thoughtful, timely conversation about who we are, who we’re becoming, and whether the future is something we shape—or something that reshapes us.

Special Guest: Patricia Martin .

On this episode of Give and Take, Scott Jones talks with David Fitch of Northern Seminary about the fallout of the Protestant Reformation—and why it might be time to reform the Reformers. Five centuries after 1517, Protestants still celebrate courage, conscience, and clarity. But what if the Reformation also unleashed forces it couldn’t control? Fragmentation. Hyper-individualism. A faith untethered from embodied community. A church shaped more by modern politics than by the crucified Christ.

From a neo-Anabaptist perspective, Fitch argues that some of the Reformers’ necessary protests hardened into new distortions—reshaping authority, redefining the church, and quietly baptizing the spirit of modernity. Scott and Dave wrestle with what was gained, what was lost, and whether Protestantism can recover a thicker, more communal, more faithful witness in a polarized age.​

Special Guest: David Fitch.

On this episode of Give and Take, recorded on Mardi Gras, 2026, Scott Jones talks with Philly fitness and wellness coach Lindsay Lombardi about fasting, feasting, and metabolic flexibility. What actually happens in your body when you indulge? Is fasting a powerful tool—or just another trend? And how do you enjoy the feast without wrecking your progress?

This is a conversation about discipline without deprivation, performance without obsession, and building a body—and a life—that can handle both celebration and restraint.

Feast smart. Fast wisely. Live strong.

Special Guest: Lindsay Lombardi.

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott Jones is joined by legal scholar and social innovator Susan Sturm to discuss her powerful new book, What Might Be: Confronting Racism to Transform Our Institutions. Drawing on decades of work at the intersection of law, education, and organizational change, Sturm offers a hopeful yet demanding vision for how institutions can move beyond performative commitments toward genuine transformation.

Their conversation explores how racism becomes embedded in institutional structures, why good intentions are not enough, and what it actually takes to create cultures of accountability, learning, and shared responsibility. Sturm challenges both individuals and organizations to imagine “what might be” if we treated racial justice not as a box to check, but as a collective practice that reshapes how we lead, decide, and belong.

Special Guest: Susan Sturm.

In this episode of Give and Take, Scott sits down with writer and former evangelical insider Mattie Jo Cowsert to talk about her candid and compelling new memoir, God, Sex and Rich People: A Recovering Evangelical Testimony. With honesty, humor, and a clear-eyed sense of moral urgency, Cowsert reflects on her journey through the world of American evangelicalism—and what it cost her to finally step away.

Their conversation explores the entanglement of faith, power, money, and sexuality in contemporary religious culture, tracing how evangelical institutions often shape desire, silence doubt, and reward proximity to wealth and influence. Cowsert shares what it means to “recover” from evangelicalism, how her faith has been reconfigured rather than abandoned, and why telling the truth about these systems is both painful and liberating.

Together, Scott and Mattie Jo wrestle with larger questions about spiritual authority, moral formation, and whether honesty and integrity are possible on the other side of disillusionment. It’s a thoughtful and unflinching conversation about belief, belonging, and the courage it takes to name what’s broken in order to imagine something better.

Special Guest: Mattie Jo Cowsert.

On this special Christmas Eve episode of Give and Take, Scott Jones is joined by Professor Matthew Milliner of Wheaton College for a thoughtful and unexpected conversation about Mary—seen through Protestant eyes. Often sidelined or approached with hesitation in Protestant theology, Mary nevertheless stands at the very center of the Christmas story. Milliner, an art historian and theologian, helps recover a richer Protestant appreciation of Mary by drawing on Scripture, church history, and the visual imagination of the Christian tradition. Together, Scott and Matthew explore how Mary’s faith, obedience, and vulnerability shape a deeper understanding of the Incarnation—and why reclaiming her place need not blur confessional lines. On a night set apart for wonder and anticipation, this conversation invites listeners to slow down and reconsider the woman who first said “yes” to God, and what her story still has to teach Protestants about Christmas, discipleship, and the mystery at the heart of the Christian faith.

Special Guest: Matthew J. Milliner.

It’s the holiday season and the devout are fond of reminding everyone that Jesus is the reason for the season. But what do we really know about Jesus? How reliable are the Gospel accounts—and how much can historians really know the mysterious man from Nazareth? In this episode of Give and Take, I sit down with renowned ancient historian Edward J. Watts to explore what historical methods can (and can’t) tell us about the life of Jesus. Drawing on Roman, Jewish, and early Christian sources, Watts explains how historians evaluate ancient texts, where the Gospels align with what we know of the first-century world, and where questions and tensions remain. The conversation moves beyond simplistic debates about “proof” or “myth,” offering a careful look at how memory, theology, politics, and oral tradition shaped the Gospel narratives. Throughout, Watts reflects on how historical context shapes interpretation and why Christian teaching has always been dynamic rather than fixed. The episode closes with a compelling claim: that the teachings of Jesus, understood historically and thoughtfully, continue to offer real guidance for life in the modern world. For believers, skeptics, and anyone curious about the origins of Christianity, this episode offers a clear-eyed, historically grounded discussion of the historical Jesus—and why these questions still matter today.

Special Guest: Edward J. Watts.

It’s the holiday season and for many of you that means curling up on the couch with some popcorn and some candy and watching one of your favorite feel good Christmas movies. What if all those cozy Christmas movies aren’t really about comfort at all—but about desire, loss, and what we’re missing deep down inside? Today I’m joined by Todd McGowan and Ryan Engley from the Why Theory podcast to psychoanalyze our favorite holiday films. From small-town miracles to last-minute reconciliations, we’re digging into what these movies reveal about enjoyment, fantasy, and why Christmas keeps pulling us back in year after year. Grab some eggnog—this conversation might change how you watch Christmas movies forever.

You can find their original Christmas movie podcast here.

Special Guests: Ryan Engley and Todd McGowan.