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In this New Year’s grab bag episode of Faithful Dissent, James and Brian look back on 2025 and talk through the moments that shaped it—personally, politically, and spiritually. From dogs at Barnes & Noble and surfing lessons to sports rivalries, holiday traditions, AI anxiety, and the ongoing unraveling of American evangelical politics, this conversation moves where real life tends to move: between the meaningful and the mundane. 

Along the way, they reflect on: 

• What brought joy and surprise this year—and what simply helped them survive it
• Why politics feels exhausting, confusing, and unavoidable
• How AI is reshaping truth, trust, and daily life (for better and worse)
• What faith looks like in a culture obsessed with success, wealth, and certainty
• Why slow practices, embodied life, and attention to what really matters still matter

This episode isn’t a manifesto or a hot take—it’s a year-end table conversation about what we’re carrying with us into the new year, what we’re trying to let go of, and why hope still feels possible.