Henry Conversations

In this episode, Micah talks with colleague Prof. Todd Cioffi of Calvin Prison Initiative. Cioffi is a graduate of Hope College and Princeton Theological Seminary. In addition to teaching at Handlon Correctional Facility, Cioffi is assistant professor of Congregational and Ministry Studies (CMS) and research fellow at Calvin University’s Institute of Christian Worship. The pair discuss education in correctional institutions through the lens of Cioffi’s unique experience.

Thank you for joining Prof. Micah Watson for a third season of Henry Conversations. In this episode, we are delighted to interview Prof. Matt Lundberg professor of religion and director of the de Vries Institute at Calvin University. The pair discuss Lundberg’s most recent book, Christian Martyrdom and Christian Violence and continue a centuries-long conversation about the Christian relationship to violence.

In this episode, Micah talks with author Dr. Alan Noble of Oklahoma Baptist University. The pair discuss Dr. Noble’s most recent book, “You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World.” Today’s listeners will find particularly interesting Dr. Noble’s discussion of self belonging and the “I just need to” mentality with its endless horizon of tasks and goals. This episode offers applicable advice to push back against the influence of a “world built against the grain of how we’re designed to live.”

In this episode, Micah talks with Dr. Anika Prather, professor at Howard University and co-founder of the Living Water School. Dr. Prather’s research focuses on the Great Conversation and the Black intellectual tradition. She discusses what led her to be an advocate for classical education, the Black classical tradition, and its importance for education today. The two discuss the benefits of the classics for the Christian life and the Canon's connecting quality for readers across all traditions.

In this episode, Micah interviews Dr. Jordan Ballor of the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy. Micah and Jordan discuss the CRCD's Shaftesbury Fellowship, the upcoming Kuyper Conference, and how Dutch Reformed thinkers like Abraham Kupyer are relevant today. How do we engage with thinkers that hold certain views "cancellable" by today's standards? 

In this episode Micah is joined by Nathan Leamer, Calvin alum and vice president of Targeted Victory, as they discuss a range of topics including the pros and cons of technology, what the FCC actually does, Division I basketball at Calvin, and faithful Christian witness in the fields of big tech, public policy, and politics.

In this episode Micah talks with sociologist Dr. Josh Packard, executive director of the Springtide Research Institute. They discuss the Springtide's studies and findings about young people and their religious views and practices, what this might mean for professors and clergy who work with them, and how the social sciences can contribute to what seems like an increasing skepticism about reliable information and news. If you’ve wondered about the commonalities and differences between the various generations—boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z—this conversation will shed some needed light.

In this episode, Micah talks with Robert P. George of Princeton University. They discuss the true meaning of American exceptionalism, the future of the Democratic and Republican parties, and friendship across deep political and moral difference. Listeners will find particularly interesting Professor George’s discussion of his friendships with Peter Singer and Cornel West.

In this episode Micah talks with Professor Susan McWilliams Barndt of Pomona College. They cover a range of topics, including why people are attracted to QAnon, the link between stories and politics, and whether it still makes sense to be speak of an American identity.

The piece mentioned by James Baldwin can be found here: https://literatureofethnicgroups.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/baldwin-the-discovery-of-what-it-means-to-be-an-american.pdf

In the inaugural episode of Henry Conversations, Micah Watson talks with James R. Skillen about This Land is My Land: Rebellion in the West, his book about the history of militant resistance to federal authority in the Western U.S. While recorded before the events of January 6, 2021, this conversation provides helpful context for understanding how ordinary political conflict can become radical.