The Happy Rant

The Happy Rant episodes:

• 10.10.2023

  Episode #461 - Happy Rant Live: Questions, Questions Everywhere

  In this final live episode of the Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through listener questions that cover a whole variety of topics ranging from parenting to writing to podcast success to much, much more. For more...

  
• 10.06.2023

  Episode #460 - Happy Rant Live: Heroes and Rogues

  In this live episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a look back at our podcast heroes and rogues galleries. Our hall of heroes from past years Our rogues gallery over the years For more ranting, conversation, and cultural analysis...

  
• 09.29.2023

  Episode #459 - Happy Rant Live : The Nostalgia Episode

  In this live episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a look back at our college days. On dreaming On being a jerk On not caring On caring too much For more ranting, conversation, and cultural analysis check out our book, The...

  
• 09.22.2023

  Episode #458 - Diamonds in the Rough

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of stories about our high school days: Navigating Christian high school Figuring out affluence High school personas Coming of age stories Being self-conscious vs. being self-aware To get details and purchase tickets...

  
• 09.14.2023

  Episode #457 - Wisdom is Wasted on the Young

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics just like the old days: Advice for folks transitioning out of college to the real world Having courage in new circumstances Having patience in growing and earning Correcting...

  
• 09.04.2023

  Episode #456 - The Well Runneth Vintage

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics just like the old days: Things we miss that don't exist any more Music labels/publishers vs. self-release or publication The lifespan of new books Radio interviews To get details...

  
• 08.31.2023

  Episode #455 - Heard, Chef!

  In this episode Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through the glory of the show The Bear: The Bear as an ode to Chicago and perfectly presenting Chicago characters The nearly perfect storytelling of The Bear A show about pursuing wholeness and perfection A...

  
• 08.24.2023

  Episode #454 - Bucket Lists, Money, and Travel

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics just like the old days: Where are we going from here? Future podcast ideas and possibilities Bucket lists: flippant thing or fulfillment before we die? Why men...

  
• 08.17.2023

  Episode #453 - Vintage Hate

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics just like the old days: Early blog days that launched careers and spawned comment section wars How come some pastors get weird on social media after...

  
• 08.10.2023

  Episode #452 - Fly Fishing, Poker, and Dream Retirement Jobs

  In this episode Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Ronnie the outdoorsman A River Runs Through It and the late 90s Christian fly fishing boom The male attraction to poker nights Having purpose in retirement Dream retirement jobs To get...

  
• 08.03.2023

  Episode #451 - Barbenheimer, Elon's Folly, and Does Seminary Matter?

  In this episode Ronnie and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Live show nostalgia - a look back The Barbenheimer phenomenon--how did this happen and why it's kind of great So, Elon Musk is ruining twitter Does seminary really matter?...

  
• 07.27.2023

  Episode #450 - Preaching Failures, Normal Things That Used to be Weird, and Memory-Making Parents

  preaching, parenting, nostalgia, 80s. pastors, fathering, dads,

  
• 07.20.2023

  Episode #449 - Threads, Flat-Footed Preaching, and Christian Books We Need (CORRECTED)

  In this episode Ronnie and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: First impressions of Threads Is Threads the social media platform to save all platforms? Our propensity to expect the next thing to be a better thing Flat-footed preaching vs...

  
• 07.13.2023

  Episode #448 - Travel Complaints and a HISTORIC Announcement

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a couple topics and then make a very significant announcement in the life of our show: Pastors and social media travel freak-outs When did this start? When will it End? ANNOUNCING...

  
• 07.06.2023

  Episode #447 - Appreciating Tim Keller

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a remembrance and appreciation of Tim Keller

  
• 06.29.2023

  Episode #446 - Books, Vigilantes, and Romance

  In this episode Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Books that everyone loves that you dislike or don't get The most ripped-off Christian authors Books that turned us on to writing Guilty pleasure books Violent vigilantes vs. Christian romance Good...

  
• 06.22.2023

  Episode #445 - Denominations are Fun

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Denominational convention fun in New Orleans and Memphis The non-denomination denomination How different denominations do smugness Palatable vs. unpalatable pretensions Zoom backgrounds by denomination For more ranting, conversation, and cultural...

  
• 06.15.2023

  Episode #444 - Books That Shaped Us and Slippery Slopes

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Books that shaped us as children Books that have shaped us this year Our families' relationship with TV Slippery slope TV shows Fight Club hate For more ranting, conversation, and...

  
• 06.08.2023

  Episode #443 - Spending by Age, Fashion Arcs, and the Fame Effect

  In this episode Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Our spending arc by age and stage The dad fashion arc People's relationship with photos How fame effects relationships Old models of fame vs. new For more ranting, conversation, and cultural...

  
• 05.31.2023

  Episode #442 - Adult Boredom and Middle-Aged Motivation

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: What does boredom look like and feel like as an adult? Do boring people know they are boring? How do we escape boring interactions? What motivates us at...

  
• 05.25.2023

  Episode #441 - The Danger of Affirmation, Almost Repentance, and Difficult Apologies

  In this episode Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: The danger of telling someone "good job" Almost repentance and reconciliation in stories Apologies are never easy Balancing fallenness and repentance in story telling For more ranting, conversation, and cultural...

  
• 05.18.2023

  Episode #440 - Food and Movie Mount Rushmore

  In this episode Ted and Ronnie wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Food Movie Mt. Rushmore Artists and their relationships with critics The idol of Creative Control How Ted never does the third ad break as a sort of commentary on...

  
• 05.12.2023

  Episode #439 - Replacement Communities, Cruises, and Air BnB Aesthetics

  In this episode Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Middle aged pastor personas online Fill-in communities for church The Cruise experience Air BnB aesthetics: so creative they're the same everywhere Is it possible to be unique in the internet...

  
• 05.04.2023

  Episode #438 - Great Business Stories, Office Aesthetics, and Alan Greenspan

  In this episode Ted and Ronnie wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Great American business stories: The Happy Rant and Nike. Ted is Alan Greenspan “Air” tried hard to be “Moneyball” and “Jerry Maguire” but fell short 1980s office aesthetics “Without Limits”...

  
• 04.27.2023

  Episode #437 - Vacation is Hard Work

  In this episode Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Parents at high school sporting events The work it takes to go on vacation Different styles of vacation The nautical life - manhood tests, new guy pressures, and more Making...

  
• 04.20.2023

  Episode #436 - Damon, Affleck, "Air", and Death Scenes

  In this episode Ted and Ronnie wander to and fro through a variety of topics: The movie, Air, and the work of Damon and Affleck What if Damon and Affleck partner with us on a movie project? Downton Abbey, the second movie  Pastoral perspectives on death...

  
• 04.18.2023

  Episode #435 - Church Imitating Culture, Goblin Mode, and the Nuance of Anxiety

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Everything is grim and nothing is funny Is the church 7-10 years behind culture or 70 years behind it?  How the church can respond to culture instead...

  
• 04.06.2023

  Episode #434 - Twenty Year Perspectives Looking Backward and Forward

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: How would your 20-year-old self view your current self? How did we find our way into our gifts and callings? Where do we see ourselves in another...

  
• 03.30.2023

  Episode #433 - Remembering Ourselves: The Gen X Show

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Quintessential Gen X movies The Gen X ethos of opposing baby boomers Gen X icons (living and dead) Misery as a brand Anxiety is the new cynicism For more ranting,...

  
• 03.23.2023

  Episode #432 - Middle Aged Birthdays the Most Millennial Movie

  In this episode Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Middle aged birthdays: the moods, celebrations, and gifts that make them awful or wonderful Why La La Land is the MOST millennial movie  How we move on from...

  
• 03.16.2023

  Episode #431 - Millennial Movies, Casual Profanity, and Self-Conscious Consumption

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Why Millennial movies kind of stink The rise of casual profanity Self-conscious story telling The millennial love of irony Consumption as a persona builder For more ranting, conversation, and cultural...

  
• 03.09.2023

  Episode #430 - Gen Z and Digital Communication

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Gen Z stinks at tech support Gen Z and email Dealing with texts from non-friends Gen Z can't do humor Gen Z as elite processors of information For more ranting,...

  
• 03.02.2023

  #429 - Questions Questions Everywhere

  This episode includes all the usual wandering to and fro, but in a very different way than usual: it includes every single one of the live Q&A;'s that Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas have done since 2017. So sit back, relax,...

  
• 02.23.2023

  Episode #428 - Pastor Websites, the Asbury Revival, and Social Media Ministers

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: What other posters need a "Clearly Reformed"  website? (Tim Keller, Matt Chandler, Steve Furtick, Francis Chan, Andy Stanley, Carl Truman, etc.) Violated reality Asbury Revival responses and...

  
• 02.20.2023

  Introducing: March or Die

  If you enjoy listening to Happy Rant, we've got another great show that you'll want to add to your playlist. Let us introduce you to March or Die, hosted by Jeremy Stalnecker! Jeremy's show seeks to help listeners answer one of...

  
• 02.16.2023

  Episode #427 - Satanic Performances, Clearly Reformed, and Birthday Requests

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: The Satanic Grammys and Satan's big trick Reformed reactions to the Grammy's BREAKING NEWS: Kevin DeYoung is Clearly Reformed Birthday requests for grown ups (especially pastors) For more ranting,...

  
• 02.09.2023

  Episode #426 - Counseling Tom Brady and ChatGPT for Preachers

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Tom Brady's retirement and Jared C. Wilson's grief How we would counsel Tom Brady A little shameless self-promotion How ChatGPT will affect ministry and preaching For more ranting, conversation,...

  
• 02.02.2023

  Episode #425 - Porn, Confession, and Outlooks on Life by Decade

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Why is porn the only sin men talk about any more? Why reformed people often struggle to talk about heart stuff How we avoid the vulnerable stuff...

  
• 01.26.2023

  Episode #424 - Keeping Up With New Things, Awkward Conversations, and Bad Names for Theologians

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety ion topics: What new things do we still try to keep up with? The performative aspects of keeping up with new things Fullbacks and casseroles Extricating ourselves from awkward conversations Names...

  
• 01.19.2023

  Episode #423 - Apple Watches, Pastor Fashion, and Doing Dad Things

  In this episode Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: Pastors and Apple Watches (and John Piper's mishap) Preaching motions, gesticulations, and mobility How pastoral fashion affects pastoral output What it looks like for pastors to dress their...

  
• 01.12.2023

  Episode #422 - New Years Resolutions and Movie Plot Devices

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: - What New Year's resolutions are the best for being pretentious and superior? - A draft of the best movie plot and character...

  
• 12.22.2022

  Episode #421 - Litigating Christmas

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: - Ted has a big confession and needs help litigating it from Ronnie and Barnabas - What does one do when one...

  
• 12.15.2022

  Episode #420: Year-End Book List Lineup

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: 1. How year-end book lists are planned and put together (make it about me, posture a bit, be well-rounded, etc.) 2. Incorporating...

  
• 12.08.2022

  Episode #419: Churches and Christmas: The Great Debate

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: 1. The outrage and controversy over churches meeting on Christmas 2. Deviating from a sermon series for Advent 3. Variations in Church...

  
• 12.01.2022

  Episode #418: Pastor Voices and Wanting to be Liked

  In this episode of The Happy Rant, Ted and Ronnie wander to and fro through a variety of topics: 1. Pastor voices 2. How does a pastor come across authentically from the pulpit? 3. Fake intellectual pastors and theological verbiage 4. Wanting to...

  
• 11.25.2022

  Episode #417: We Are Professional Readers (3 Free Chapters of Our Audiobook)

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas do something a little different. Instead of wandering to and fro they offer up three free chapters from the audiobook of The Happy Rant. Chapter 1: Evangelical Fame (We do...

  
• 11.17.2022

  Episode #416 - Advent Books and What Men Actually Need in the Church

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: 1) The big three for men in the church (according to a tweeter): Money, Sex, and Fitness 2) Are men actually leaving...

  
• 11.10.2022

  Episode #415: Mad About Christmas (and Everything Else)

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: 1. Why are people so aggressive about when they start Christmas? 2. Identity everything - claiming and defending holidays or anything else...

  
• 11.03.2022

  Episode #414 - Growing Up in Church and Growing Out of Cage Stage Calvinism

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: 1. The death of cool as a thing 2. Our stories of growing up in the church 3. Growing out of cage stage calvinism 4....

  
• 10.27.2022

  Episode #413: Halloween Shenanigans and the Enneagram

  In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics: 1. Our feelings about Halloween and experiences with it growing up 2. Ronnie’s experience at a college football game 3. Halloween costumes...