This week we are revisiting an episode originally recorded in April 2024 with the incredible Kate Bowler! She is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and an Associate Professor of American Religious History at Duke University.

Jann and Kate discuss the importance of taking action in the face of challenges, the need for authentic conversations about grief, and the pressure to always be positive. They also touch on the topic of medically assisted dying and the complexities surrounding it. Kate Bowler shares her personal experiences with chronic pain and how it inspired her latest book, 'Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day,' which offers bite-sized reflections for navigating ups and downs in life. In this conversation, Kate Bowler discusses the challenges of navigating grief and supporting others in times of difficulty. They explore the concept of being overwhelmed by other people's problems and the need to set boundaries. They also discuss the role of religion and spirituality in coping with hardship and finding a sense of community. The conversation emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, love, and self-compassion in helping each other through tough times.

More about Kate Bowler:

Kate studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She is the author of Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel and The Preacher’s Wife: The Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities. After being unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage IV cancer at age 35, she penned the New York Times bestselling memoir, Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I’ve Loved) and No Cure For Being Human (and Other Truths I Need to Hear). She has also co-written with Jessica Richie, spiritual reflections: Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection and The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days. Kate’s most recent book, Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens, is packed with bite-sized reflections and action-oriented steps to help you get through the day, be it good, bad, or totally mediocre. Kate hosts the award-winning Everything Happens podcast where, in warm, insightful, often funny conversations, she talks with people like Malcolm Gladwell and Beth Moore about what they’ve learned in difficult times. She lives in Durham, North Carolina with her family and continues to teach do-gooders at Duke Divinity School.

https://katebowler.com/

Watch Kate Bowler's Ted Talk

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