What Can Lead a Weary Soul to the Divine in a Post-Christian World?

Malcolm Guite is back for part two of our chat with him, and this time we go from atheism to awe, from the Psalms to the Holy Grail, and from Keats to King Arthur. Malcolm tells the wild story of how poetry cracked open his imagination and shattered his unbelief, leading him into the living presence of God — then shows why Galahad and the Grail might be the ancient, weird, luminous story our burned-out, disenchanted world needs now.

00:00 - The Sonnet Epiphany 1. Magi

01:28 - Introduction to Malcolm Guite Part 2

03:37 - From Atheism to Wonder

06:27 - Encountering Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale"

12:11 - The Augustinian Idea of Beauty

15:18 - You Are Not the Center of the Universe

20:44 - "Take Up the Tale" A Ballad Introducing Guite's Arthurian Epic

23:54 - Why Does Retelling the Arthurian Legends Matter Now?

25:06 - The Truth of the Wasteland in the Modern World

27:19 - Conclusion and Credits

Listen to Malcolm Guite pt. 1: Does Theology Need an Imaginative Spark to Grasp God's Mystery?

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Malcolm Guite's Galahad in the Grail
• Malcolm Guite's Epiphany 1 The magi
• Malcolm Guite's Sounding the Seasons
• C.S. Lewis's Surprised by Joy
• John Keats' Ode to a Nightingale
• Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo's The Confessions Of Saint Augustine

Scriptures Referenced In This Episode:

• Psalm 145 (1928 BCP)
• The Psalms (Coverdale edition) PDF version

More from Malcolm Guite:

• Malcolm Guite's website and blog
• Malcolm Guite's Youtube channel
• Malcolm Guite's books

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Is Ukraine's Fight Against Tyranny Already America's Failure?

New York Times opinion writer and Iraq War veteran David French joins Curtis Chang on the Good Faith podcast to explain why Ukraine may be the world-changing war Americans are ignoring. David argues that Ukraine's resistance to Russia has exposed America's retreat from moral leadership, transformed the global balance of power, and elevated Zelensky as one of the most consequential leaders of our time. From Trump's impact on NATO to Europe's growing defense buildup, Curtis and David explore what Ukraine reveals about U.S. power, Christian responsibility, global justice, and the fight against tyranny.

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02:41 - A Shift in the Balance of Power

08:51 - Ukraine's Rise as a World Power

10:03 - The "Trump Effect" on Germany, France, & Japan

16:30 - A Response to the Left's "Good Riddance to America" Argument

19:40 - Is the U.S. an unreliable partner?

25:41 - Why Americans Should Care About Global Affairs

30:00 - Who Is My Global Neighbor?

32:03 - Evangelicals' Narrow Political Focus

38:18 - Zelensky The Unlikely Hero

45:27 - Are There Virtues to Emulate from Zelensky?

Mentioned in This Episode:

• David French's article Meet the New Leader of the Free World
• Canadian P. M. Mark Carney's speech "middle powers must act together"
• President Zelensky's February 24, 2022 address to Ukraine
• Jeffrey A. Friedman: The Myth of a Bipartisan Golden Age for U.S. Foreign Policy: The Truman-Eisenhower Consensus Remains
• Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

Scriptures:

• The Good Samaritan Luke 10:24-37 (ESV)
• Matthew 10:16-23 (ESV)

More From David French:

• David French's New York Times pieces HERE
• Follow David French on Threads

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Is There a Hidden Power of Communion in a Hopeless Age?

Hannah Miller King joins Curtis Chang on the Good Faith podcast to discuss her book Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness and why communion is more than a symbolic church ritual. Together, they explore the Lord's Supper, Christian hope, embodied worship, and how the table of God forms Christians to resist consumer culture and carry resurrection-shaped love into a hopeless world. They discuss why this embodied practice connects believers to Christ's past sacrifice, present grace, and future return and show how the practice retrains our loves and sends us outward in mission.

02:28 - What Does Union with Christ Look Like Across All Traditions?

05:04 - The Differences: Symbolic vs. Sacramental Views

12:13 - Does the Lord's Supper Connect to Daily Life?

15:40 - Is It a Means of Hope in a Hopeless World?

26:40 - Is The Richness In "Remembering" Christ's Past, Present, and Future?

29:50 - Detaching From Worldly Loves to Re-Attach to God

33:10 - The Power of Routine Practice

35:09 - A Commission to Welcome Others

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Hannah Miller King's book — Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness

Scriptures Referenced:

• Luke 22:19 (ESV)
• The Last Supper / Institution of Communion: Luke 22:14–20 (ESV), Matthew 26:26–29 (ESV), or Mark 14:22–25 (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)
• Revelation 19:6–9 (ESV)
• Exodus 12 (ESV)

More from Hannah Miller King:

• Hannah Miller King's article at Christianity Today
• Hannah Miller King's website

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Imagination Combined with Reason Can Build a Sturdier Faith.

Malcolm Guite invites us to recover a "baptized imagination," showing how poetry can do real theological work by carrying truth through image, beauty, sacrament, and story. Rather than replacing reason, imagination helps us perceive meaning—opening Scripture, creation, and the mystery of Christ in ways analysis alone cannot reach.

00:00 - A Sonnet for Saint Peter

01:16 - Introduction to the Episode

03:32 - Can Poetry Do Theology?

09:02 - What Is the Baptized Imagination?

11:09 - Reason, Imagination, and Meaning with C.S. Lewis

17:24 - The Eternal Act of Creation

20:07 - Conclusion and Preview of Part 2

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Malcolm Guite's Galahad in the Grail
• Malcolm Guite's Parable and Paradox
• William Shakespoeare's Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
• George Herbert's poem The Agonie
• C.S. Lewis's Bluspels and Flalansferes
• C.S. Lewis on Imagination and Reason in Christian Apologetics
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Biographia Literaria

Scriptures Referenced In This Episode:

• 1 Corinthians 2 (ESV)
• Luke 22:19-20 (NJKV)
• Luke 10:27 (NKJV)
• John 1:1 (NIV)
• Psalm 19:1 (KJV)

More from Malcolm Guite:

• Malcolm Guite's website and blog
• Malcolm Guite's Youtube channel
• Malcolm Guite's books

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Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter)

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

How Can We Raise Capable Kids Without Rescuing Them?

David Thomas, co-executive director of Daystar Counseling and co-author of Capable, joins Curtis Chang for a timely conversation on Christian parenting, kids' mental health, and raising resilient children in an age of anxiety. They explore why today's parenting culture can accidentally make kids less capable—and how faith, courage, and emotional resilience can help families face struggle without fear. If you're raising kids in this world shaped by stress, screens, and social pressure, this episode offers grounded, practical wisdom.

02:32 - It's Been a Decade of Youth Mental Health Crisis and Parental Stress

06:10 - Distinctively Christian Parenting vs. Secular Approaches

11:06 - Parenting as Spiritual Formation

16:31 - Has Language Inflation Made Parental Modeling More Important?

19:26 - How Do Some Parental Practices Undermine Capability?

25:39 - Managing Parental Discomfort and Allowing Growth

30:59 - Parenting as a Context for Parental Growth

32:02 - Death to Self and Parenting Young Adults

34:34 - Empathy and Questions: A Parental Script

36:43 - How Do Empathy and Agency Image God in Parenting?

38:17- Encouragement for Exhausted and Stuck Parents

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• David Thomas & Sissy Goff's Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience
• David's co-author Sissy Goff
• Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation
• Jonathan Haidt's substack After Babel
• Katherine and Jay Wolf's Hope Heals

Scriptures Referenced:

• John 16:33 (ESV)
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
• Romans 8:29 (ESV)
• Genesis 4:26 (ESV)

More from David Thomas:

• Listen to David's podcast: Raising Boys & Girls (with Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan)
• Explore Daystar Counseling in Nashville, Tennessee
• Follow David on instagram: Raising Boys and Girls
• Other books by David Thomas

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

How Does the Church Sings Through Suffering and Why Do the Songs Matter?

Grammy Award nominee and Dove Award winner Matt Maher joins the Good Faith podcast for a conversation about the power of songs and church music to tell the truth about suffering. Reflecting on protest, justice, prophetic art, ecumenism, and even Rich Mullins, Maher explores how the church can hold lament and praise together while still pointing people to the hope and holiness of God. Drawing on Psalm 22 and Jesus' cry of abandonment on the cross, he argues that the church, like Jesus, must sing honestly about pain and abandonment without losing sight of the worship and honor God deserves.

*This episode was recorded live at the Illuminate Arts + Faith Conference

00:00:00 - Tease: The Duality of Abandonment and Praise

00:01:00 - Introduction from Curtis Chang

05:31 - Conversion and the Impact of Catholic Liturgy on His Faith

08:13 - Theology in Songwriting and Collaboration

09:57- Can Ecumenism Expand Your Perspective?

13:06 - John 17 and Praying for Church Unity

14:35 - Prophetic Calling Comforts the Afflicted and Challenges the Comfortable

16:38 - Protest Themes and the Burden of Truth

20:30 - Holding Space for Both Praise and Lament

21:55 - Christian Justice Movements and Prophetic Action

24:02 - The After Party Album and Amos's Call to Justice

24:11 - That He Will Overcome (musical insert)

26:29 - The Toppling of Empire Lyrics as Inspired by Dr. Mika Edmonson

29:04 - The Neurological and Physical Impact of Music on Memory and Community

34:03 - Personal Storytelling and Lament To Work Out Hard Things

40:00 - Rich Mullins' Influence and Legacy

41:24 - What Is The Song the Church Needs Now, In These Crazy Times?

43:48 - A Warning From Nazi Germany Against Ignoring Suffering

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• The Nicene Creed and the History of the Council of Nicaea
• Matt Maher's Echoes album (Spotify)
• Matt Maher's Your Grace Is Enough
• Matt Maher's The Stories I Tell Myself
• Matt Maher's The Stories I Tell Myself (Acoustic video)
• Matt Maher, DOE, Dee Wilson, & The Porter's Gate's That We Might Overcome
• Listen to the album The Kingdom of Jesus: Songs For The After Party
• Rich Mullins' Canticle of The Plains (full album on Youtube)
• Rich Mullins' The Joy of Jesus (feat. Matt Maher, Mac Powell, & Ellie Holcomb)
• More about Francis Chan

Scriptures Referenced:

• Psalm 22 (ESV)
• John 17 (ESV)
• John 14:6 (ESV)
• Amos 5-6 (ESV)

More from Matt Maher:

• See Matt on tour
• Matt Maher's website
• Subscribe to Matt's email list
• Listen to Matt Maher on Spotify

Follow Us:

Good Faith on Instagram

Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter)

Good Faith on Facebook

The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Why Relying on One Bible Teacher Isn't Enough—and What to Do About It

In this Good Faith Podcast bonus short, N.T. Wright shares practical, accessible guidance on how to read the Bible with deeper understanding, moving beyond surface-level devotion into the rich world of biblical context, Scripture study, and Christian discipleship. Wright explains why exploring texts like Josephus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha, and the Apostolic Fathers can help modern believers interpret the New Testament more faithfully and confidently. He also offers a personal glimpse into his lifelong daily Bible reading practice, revealing how Scripture, prayer, and the Psalms have shaped his faith from childhood to today.

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• John Goldingay & N.T. Wright's The Bible for Everyone
• Books by Richard Middleton
• Books by Walter Brueggemann
• The Complete Works of Josephus (pdf)
• The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls (pdf)
• Resource For Writings of the Apostolic Fathers (e.g., Ignatius, Clement, Polycarp)

More from N.T. Wright:

• N.T. Wright's book God's Homecoming: The Forgotten Promise of Future Renewal
• N.T. Wright Online
• N.T. Wright's Speaking engagements
• N.T. Wright's books

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Are Violent Bible Passages Being Used to Justify War?

Pete Wehner, former White House official and writer for The Atlantic, joins Curtis Chang to examine how violent Old Testament "holy war" texts are being invoked in today's political and cultural debates, including by Pete Hegseth and voices tied to the Trump administration. Pete and Curtis explore the war in Iran, Bible interpretation, the character of God, and why Christians must read troubling Bible passages through the lens of Jesus and the cross before making life-and-death moral judgments.

02:37 - Holy War Texts and Public Policy

03:37 - Pete Hegseth and the Invocation of Holy War

08:32 - The Real-World Consequences of Misreading Scripture

17:21 - Wrestling with Disturbing Texts

22:28 - The Necessity of Disturbance and Christocentric Reading

31:07 - What Is the Historical Role of Allegorical Interpretation?

35:17 - Jewish and Rabbinic Traditions of Wrestling with Text

37:21 - Tim Keller: Christ's Character as Interpretive Key

42:58 - The Importance of Literary Reasoning

46:37 - Literal but Time-Specific Commands

52:15 - A Warning Against Overconfidence

54:04 - Debating for Truth, Not Victory

56:09 - The Real-World and Personal Stakes of Biblical Interpretation

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Pete Wehner's article Pete Hegseth's Moral Unseriousness
• Understanding Pete Hegseth's connection to Douglas Wilson: What is CREC and how does it shape Pete Hegseth's religious rhetoric?
• President George W. Bush's National Cathedral Speech
• What is the Christian Reconstructionist Movement?
• What is Just War Theory?
• Gregory A. Boyd's The Crucifixion of the Warrior God, Vol. 1 & 2
• Gregory A Boyd's Cross Vision: How the Crucifixion of Jesus Makes Sense of Old Testament Violence
• Tremper Longman's The Old Testament as Literature: Foundations for Christian Interpretation
• More about C.S. Lewis & Owen Barfield

More from Pete Wehner:

• Pete Wehner's articles at The Atlantic
• Pete Wehner's opinion pieces at The New York Times

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Is AI Helping Us Flourish or Making Us Less Human?

Andy Crouch joins Curtis Chang for a timely conversation on AI, Christianity, human flourishing, and the future of being human. Together they explore whether artificial intelligence will deepen human relationships or replace them, why prediction is not the same as prophecy, and how Christians can pursue embodied community, reconciliation, and faithful living in the age of AI.

04:31 - Technology Adoption and Cultural Change

09:05 - AI's Subtle Presence and Future Potential

12:30 - AI and Work-Life Balance

14:36 - Risks of AI Replacing Relationships

15:35 - Loneliness and AI Relationships

20:43 - Practical Steps Toward Relationships

28:36 - A call to cultivate deep relationships before the AI "tsunami."

29:54 - Human Distinctiveness: Prediction vs. Prophecy

35:13 - AI, Consciousness, and the Image of God

41:04 - What are the responsibilities of Christians working in AI?

45:49 - Redemptive Technology

46:24 - Andy expresses grief and concern for dehumanization.

48:03 - God's redemptive purpose despite anticipated losses from AI

Drawing upon material from a past conversation

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Mentioned in This Episode:

• Rosaria Butterfield's The Gospel Comes with a House Key
• Good Faith episode 107: Where is AI Taking Us Spiritually? (with James Cham and John Kim)
• American Psychological Association: Many teens are turning to AI chatbots for friendship and emotional support
• Psychology Today: AI Use in Dating Jumps 333%
• Video: AI Allows Man with ALS to 'Speak' Again

More From Andy Crouch:

• Check out Andy's website
• Check out Andy's work at Praxis
• Read Andy's book: The Life We're Looking For

Follow Us:

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Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter)

Good Faith on Facebook

The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Imagination Combined with Reason Can Build a Sturdier Faith.

Malcolm Guite invites us to recover a "baptized imagination," showing how poetry can do real theological work by carrying truth through image, beauty, sacrament, and story. Rather than replacing reason, imagination helps us perceive meaning—opening Scripture, creation, and the mystery of Christ in ways analysis alone cannot reach.

Take the Listener Survey

Sign up for The After Party

Sign up for The Good List

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Malcolm Guite's Galahad in the Grail
• Malcolm Guite's Parable and Paradox
• William Shakespoeare's Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
• George Herbert's poem The Agonie
• C.S. Lewis's Bluspels and Flalansferes
• C.S. Lewis on Imagination and Reason in Christian Apologetics
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Biographia Literaria

Scriptures Referenced In This Episode:

• 1 Corinthians 2 (ESV)
• Luke 22:19-20 (NJKV)
• Luke 10:27 (NKJV)
• John 1:1 (NIV)
• Psalm 19:1 (KJV)

More from Malcolm Guite:

• Malcolm Guite's website and blog
• Malcolm Guite's Youtube channel
• Malcolm Guite's books

Follow Us:

Good Faith on Instagram

Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter)

Good Faith on Facebook

The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.