Speaking with Joy

The modern world is both overstimulating and excessively boring. In this episode, featuring Boredom expert Dr. Rebekah Lamb, we explore the social, literary, and spiritual dimensions of boredom. I promise, you will not find this episode a bore.

Is the modern world disenchanted? Today we will explore this question with the night sky as our conversation partner. My hunch is that the cosmos is not any less wondrous, mysterious, or enchanted than it was in the twelfth century. The world is not disenchanted, we've only grown blind to its wonder.

For a long time, most people regarded the Chronicles of Narnia as the charming side project of a Oxford don too busy to double check which mythological creatures belonged in which story. But what if there is a golden string running through each story, so that they hang together like pearls on a necklace… or like planets in the night sky? Dr. Michael Ward solved the mystery. 

Blood is the stuff of life. In our antiseptic world, it can be hard to hear and understand the words of Jesus: This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28). In this Holy Week episode, we explore the theme of Christ's blood.

The book of Job has always fascinated and exasperated me. That's why I loved getting to explore this poetic and complicated book with my friend Tobias, a scholar of Biblical languages. Enjoy this episode on the relational nature of Job and the importance of addressing our theology at God!

The difference between Job and his friends was not theological but personal: Job raged, wept, and prayed to God while his friends spoke about God. Even in our darkest moments, God invites us into relationship. This week, we look at the lives of three artists who struggled well with God.

To grow in wellness, we must start thinking of ourselves less like cars to tune up, and more like gardens to nurture. On today's episode, Joy chats with Kristyn Emmer, who shares her insights on cultivating wellness of body, soul, and heart. 

This episode explores the most important historic movement you never learned about. Tune in to hear how Romanticism shapes art, industry, and psychology, by looking at Wordsworth, Brahms, and the Pre-Raphaelites.

Screens play a huge role in our life, and almost all of our relationships are mediated in some way through social media. How can we live connected, authentic, purposeful lives in a world of screens?