Silicon Valley is often described as both post-Christian and pre-Christian—a place of deep disillusionment and surprising openness. How do Christians navigate that tension?

In the latest episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, I sit down with Paul Taylor, Director of Unify at Transforming the Bay with Christ and Co-Founder of the Bay Area Center for Faith, Work & Tech. Before that, he spent nearly two decades as a pastor at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto.

We talk about his recent Christianity Today article, “The Silicon Valley Revival Has Momentum. Next Comes Maturity.” We dig into questions like:

Why should Christian leaders approach revival with both excitement and discernment—not just one or the other?

What does it mean to live in a place that holds both post-Christian disillusionment and pre-Christian openness?

How can Christians move beyond survival in the workplace to faithful influence—shaping cultures, guiding innovation, and bearing redemptive witness?

Do the powerful need Jesus just as much as the marginalized?

How do we avoid confusing evangelism with another form of Christian nationalism?

And why might “exilic discipleship” be a faithful way forward for Christians in Silicon Valley?

Paul brings wisdom, humility, and years of pastoral experience to these questions—and paints a hopeful picture of what maturity might look like for revival in the Bay Area.

What if the Church has forgotten one of its most important witnesses?

In this episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, host Travis Jamieson sits down with Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt, professor of theology and history at Wheaton College, to discuss her new book, The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today (Brazos Press, 2024).

We explore:

Dr. McNutt is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, an ordained Presbyterian minister, and an award-winning author known for her work on the Reformation and the Reformed tradition. This conversation bridges the academy and the church, challenging us to reconsider how we remember—and why it matters.

📖 Buy the book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-mary-we-forgot-what-the-apostle-to-the-apostles-teaches-the-church-today-jennifer-powell-mcnutt/20656741?ean=9781587436178&next=t

If you’re interested in biblical theology, church history, women in the Bible, or recovering forgotten voices in Christian tradition, this episode is for you.

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and comment if you found this episode meaningful.

#MaryMagdalene #JenniferPowellMcNutt #FaithInForming #ChurchHistory #TheologyPodcast #Christianity #Resurrection #WomenInTheBible #ReformedTheology #BiblicalStudies

In this episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, Travis welcomes Karen Swallow Prior—renowned author, speaker, and scholar—for a thoughtful conversation about her latest book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good and Beautiful.

This episode delves into the meaning of Christian vocation, the distinction between calling and career, and how the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty can shape your sense of purpose. Whether you’re seeking clarity about your life’s direction or curious about how God calls us in today’s world, this conversation will inspire and challenge you.

✅ In this episode, we discuss:

What is Christian vocation?

How to discern your calling

The role of beauty and literature in spiritual formation

🔔 Subscribe for more interviews on faith, theology, culture, and vocation

Tags: Christian calling, vocation, Karen Swallow Prior, You Have a Calling, faith and work, theology of vocation, Christian podcast, spiritual formation, true good and beautiful, discernment, literature and faith

In this episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, host Travis Jamieson sits down with UK-based artist and spiritual director Andy Maitland to explore the intersection of art, imagination, and the Holy Spirit.

Andy has been drawing exclusively on the iPad since 2011, focusing on the English landscape and the practice of paying close attention to the subject. He shares how his daily drawing practice becomes a form of spiritual discipline, and how the Holy Spirit plays a central role in creativity and discernment.

🔗 Links Mentioned:

🎨 Andy Maitland’s Website:

📚 An Imagined Garden One (iPad Drawings 2011–22):

📰 The Ministry of Imagination – Andy’s Substack:

🎧 Listen to more episodes of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast

#AndyMaitland #ChristianArtist #DigitalArt #FaithAndArt #SpiritualDirection #HolySpirit #ImaginationAndFaith #ContemplativeArt #iPadArt #TheFaithInformingPodcast

In this episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, we're joined by the brilliant Dr. Helen Bond—New Testament scholar, historian of early Christianity, and co-host of the Biblical Time Machine podcast. Together, we dive deep into the fascinating world of ancient biography and explore how this literary form shaped the writing of the Gospel of Mark and other New Testament texts.

We discuss:

And why understanding ancient biographies can help you more accurately read the Gospels today 

Dr. Bond brings decades of scholarship, storytelling, and public engagement to this wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation. Whether you're a Bible nerd, a church leader, or just curious about Christian origins, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

🔗 Subscribe for more episodes exploring faith, history, and the power of story.

📖 Learn more about Dr. Bond and the Centre for the Study of Christian Origins at: http://www.christianorigins.div.ed.ac.uk

🎙️ Check out the Biblical Time Machine podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

#AncientBiography #GospelOfMark #HelenBond #ChristianOrigins #BiblicalScholarship #HistoricalJesus #FaithInFormingPodcast #NewTestament #Christianity #BibleHistory #JesusBiography #EarlyChurch #GrecoRomanHistory #PodcastInterview #BibleStudy

What if our understanding of women in the early church is far too small?

In this episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, Travis Jamieson sits down with Dr. Susan Benton, New Testament scholar and Lecturer in Religion and Ministry Guidance at Baylor University. Drawing on her deep academic research and pastoral background, Susan helps us reimagine the roles of women like Phoebe and Prisca—not as footnotes in the New Testament, but as vital leaders in the early Christian movement.

We explore:

How Greco-Roman inscriptions shed light on women’s leadership roles

What the Apostle Paul may have seen in Phoebe and Prisca

Why recovering these histories matters for the church today

Susan’s own journey from ministry to academia

Dr. Benton holds degrees from Baylor, Duke Divinity, and Fuller Seminary, and her forthcoming book, Women Patrons and Mothers in Greco-Roman Associations and the New Testament (Mohr Siebeck), promises to reshape how we read the early church.

Whether you're a pastor, student, or thoughtful Christian seeking a deeper understanding of Scripture, this episode offers a rich, scholarly, and accessible conversation on women in ministry, New Testament context, and faithful interpretation.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations on theology, ministry, and formation.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

#FaithInForming #SusanBenton #WomenInMinistry #EarlyChristianity #NewTestamentScholarship #Phoebe #Prisca #BaylorUniversity #BiblePodcast #ChristianFormation #WomenInLeadership #BiblicalStudies

In this special episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, host Travis Jamieson becomes the guest as his wife and co-pastor, Annie, takes over hosting duties. Annie interviews author and pastor Travis about his new book, The Mystery of Faith: Why the Gospel is Still Good News.

Join us for a rich and personal conversation exploring Travis’s background and faith journey, the central themes of his new book, and why mystery lies at the heart of the Christian gospel. We talk about what it means to recover a sacramental worldview, how to live faithfully in an age of doubt and disillusionment, and why the gospel still speaks good news today. Travis also reads a short excerpt from the book and reflects on how his pastoral work and personal experiences have shaped his writing.

🕊️ Topics Covered:

The story behind The Mystery of Faith

Embracing mystery in Christian life and theology

The importance of a sacramental imagination

A sneak peek reading from the book

📖 The Mystery of Faith: Why the Gospel is Still Good News is available now! 

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of faith, theology, and culture.

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe!

#TheMysteryOfFaith #TravisJamieson #ChristianPodcast #FaithJourney #SacramentalWorldview #GoodNews #TheologyPodcast #Gospel #FaithInFormingPodcast #ChristianBooks #SpiritualFormation

In this powerful episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, special guest Andrew Nicewander — a software engineer, seminary graduate, and passionate reader of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and G. K. Chesterton — shares his journey through church trauma and how he found healing.

Andrew opens up about experiencing both the brokenness and beauty of the church. Drawing from Tolkien's concept of "Eucatastrophe" — the sudden, unexpected joy that breaks through despair — he explores how great stories can help process pain, rebuild faith, and offer hope in the aftermath of religious hurt.

👉 Whether you are deconstructing, rebuilding, or searching for meaning after spiritual wounds, this conversation is for you. We talk faith and doubt, trauma and healing, and the profound wisdom of Tolkien in navigating life's hardest seasons.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about faith, theology, doubt, healing, and hope.

👍 Like this episode if you enjoy thoughtful discussions on Christian faith and literature.

💬 Comment below: How have stories like Tolkien’s helped you in your own faith journey?

#Tolkien #CSLewis #FaithAndHealing #ChurchTrauma #Eucatastrophe #ChristianPodcast #SpiritualHealing #FaithJourney #Deconstruction #TheologyPodcast

In this episode, Chaplain Mary Marks joins us for a rich and heartfelt conversation about discerning God's call in different seasons of life. Together, we explore how to listen for God’s voice—especially in times of transition. Mary offers compassionate wisdom on navigating the emotional and practical challenges of moving aging parents into assisted living, and shares how cultivating an honest knowledge of our own needs can help us thrive as we grow older. Whether you're caring for a loved one or seeking clarity in your own journey, this episode offers both guidance and grace.

In this episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, I sit down with philosopher and author Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek to explore the nature of knowing—not just as an intellectual exercise, but as a deeply relational and transformative act. Drawing from her book A Little Manual for Knowing, Dr. Meek challenges conventional ideas about knowledge, inviting us to embrace mystery, risk, and love in our pursuit of truth.

📖 Topics We Cover:

🎧 Listen & Subscribe:

📚 Get the Book: A Little Manual for Knowing – https://a.co/d/3hOoiiY

👤 About the Guest:

👍 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more conversations on faith, philosophy, and theology. Hit the 🔔 bell icon to get notified when new episodes drop!

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