The PeppTalk Podcast

In this episode of PeppTalk, host Coby Dolloff sits down with Josh Nadeau, author, artist, and one of Substack's most compelling voices on faith and culture, for a conversation on beauty, embodiment, and what it takes to become whole. Josh is the creator of Sword and Pencil, a platform where he shares his iconography-influenced art and writing, and the author of multiple books, including Room for Good Things to Run Wild: How Ordinary People Become Everyday Saints.In this conversation, you'll hear why beauty is the most powerful apologetic for a data-obsessed world, how the Great Books told Josh the truth about where he was, and what it actually means to live in your body as a spiritual practice.If you're in the dark wood right now, or beginning to wonder if there's more to the spiritual life than memorizing the right platitudes, this episode is for you.

Transcript:

Coby Dolloff: Hey everybody, welcome back to PeppTalk. It’s good to have you with us. We’re here where we bring the conversations that happen on campus to you, our listeners. I’m Coby, your host — sad Alexa is not with us today — but I’ve got a very special guest to introduce you to, a good friend of mine, Josh Nadeau. Josh, it’s good to have you. I’ll give you a formal bio here in a second.

Josh Nadeau: Yeah, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. Also, you didn’t tell me the name of the podcast.

Coby: PeppTalk.

Josh: PeppTalk!

Coby: Yeah. Do you like that?

Josh: I do like it. Decent.

Coby: Yeah — I mean, we thought about the name for a while, and it was back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and one day we were like, “PeppTalk.” Nice little pun. We were like, that’s it.

Josh: I love a little pun. Very sweet.

Coby: So — I always tell Alexa, we always fight about this. You can answer this for us; this is our most important first question. Obviously, formally on Spotify or whatever, it’s the PeppTalk Podcast. But if you’re talking about it, then is it “PeppTalk” or is it “the PeppTalk”?

Josh: Oh, you guys just do “PeppTalk.” It’s just “PeppTalk.”

Coby: Thank you. Alexa, if you’re out there!

Josh: ‘Cause, like, you can’t be like, “Hey, we’re gonna go have the PeppTalk.” That sounds like it’s about to get serious. That’s like English as a second language — “Can I please have the breakfast?” You can cut that if you’re not allowed to put that in. That’s like how I speak Spanish. “Hey, where are the friends of mine?”

Coby: Just breakfast — we’re just about to have breakfast. We’re just gonna have the PeppTalk.

Josh: Yeah, we’re just gonna have the breakfast meal — the PeppTalk Podcast.

Coby: Anyway — so here’s Josh. Josh, if you don’t know him, has a large Instagram following through an account called Sword and Pencil — puts out a lot of great art, iconography. I’ll let you talk a little bit more about your work here in a second. But he’s an artist; he’s also a writer — multiple books, including a book that was really impactful for me. It’s called Room for Good Things to Run Wild: How Ordinary People Become Everyday Saints, which I’ll talk about some more in a bit. But Josh is on campus here at Pepperdine for an event we’re putting on in collaboration with our friends at the Society for Classical Learning. Our Great Books people, the K-through-12 classical learning people, are all here thinking about: how can we educate students in a way that they learn to love the true, the good, and the beautiful, and how can we have what happens in the classroom actually inform character rather than just minds? And so — a lot of people who believe in a lot of good things. It’s been a fun week. So Josh, I’ll quit yapping here. I want to just first start with your work. Can you tell us a little bit about what you do design-wise? We’ll link some of your art in the episode, but what kind of art are you doing? What’s it influenced by? How did you kind of come to do that? And then I’d love to talk about the book after that.

Josh: I mean, well, first off, it’s cool what you guys are doing with the summit, because that’s the big thing for me — how do you translate transcendental things into a way that someone can live? Right? Like, all things just developed in the sense of: you cultivate it, you figure out what you like doing and what resonates with you and other people. So my art, as it stands now, is some mishmash, stylistically, of iconography and traditional tattoo and comic books — very folky.

Coby: Cool.

Josh: And for the reason of — I view beauty as an apologetic. You know this. Just like people are wrestling through the big ideas — what is truth, what is going on — I think beauty gets to do the same thing. We get to use beauty as an apologetic, and as Christians, I believe we have the most beautiful story to tell.

Coby: Can you talk for a second — if people aren’t familiar, when you say beauty is an apologetic, what is it? How’s beauty gonna save the world, buddy? What does this mean?

Josh: Totally, yeah. So, the idea of beauty saving the world — generally, my take on how the world has gone, and you don’t need to agree with me, this is just how I view life: as we moved into the modernist and postmodern world, everything just became idea-driven. So you have the modernist views of, like, scientists — the only things that exist and the only things that matter are things you can touch and see and measure. And then that’s where you have the rise of all these psychos who are like, “Oh yeah, there could be no God, because we can’t put him in a beaker.” Be like, “Oh, true — so smart, man.” So I did my undergrad in physics, and this is one of the big things you bump into all the time: how do we move from what is physical and seen to what is metaphysical and unseen?

Coby: Yeah — because measuring something does not take away the mystery.

Josh: Totally. It doesn’t explain why. So Richard Feynman has this — he’s a physicist; he’s, like, the GOAT physicist. And he has this thing where he became friends with an artist, and the artist was teaching him how to paint, and he would teach this artist physics and math and stuff.

Coby: Cool.

Josh: And they had this amazing conversation, where the artist one day was like, “Listen — you see the world in one way; I see the world in a different way. I appreciate art and beauty in a way that you don’t.” And Richard Feynman said an amazing — he was like, “That’s not true. You look at the flower and you see color and composition and all of these things. I look at the flower and I see the design of it. I know how the carbon and the oxygen molecules are separating,” and whatever. So those things are very true — you can still look at life poetically. But in that world of these people who think data will save you — and that gets into the church all the time here — “Think! Memorize these eight definitions, and now you’re not addicted to any of your vices. No, you’re good.” All of those people still go and consume movies and books and music, and they wanna go to the beach and watch the sunset. Beauty is doing something for them that is immeasurable.

Coby: Even if they’re not clocking it.

Josh: Exactly. Even if they don’t know what’s going on, something is doing work on them. And in the tradition — the Christian tradition — we believe in goodness, truth, and beauty, the transcendentals. God is the source of those things. There’s the ontological reality of those, in that hierarchy. And so that is essentially just a stupid, nerdy way of saying that being leads to truth, leads to virtue, leads to beauty. But there’s a psychological way of experiencing them, which is: we always experience the beauty of a thing first. Right? Like, when I saw my now-wife, I wasn’t like, “Wow, she’s such a true person.” I was like, “Whoa — super pretty. I’m in.” And so I think that’s the apologetic for our modern time, at least for a certain scope of people. So my art is doing it — it’s rooted in truth and it’s rooted in virtue, but I wanna present that as beautifully as possible. And I want it to be this open invitation that does work on someone…

What does it take to find the story that only you can tell — and then muster the courage to go get it? In this episode of PeppTalk, Coby sits down with Daniel Voll — journalist, playwright, and screenwriter — for a wide-ranging conversation on curiosity, craft, community, and the future of storytelling. From reporting in war zones and tracking down war criminals to executive producing the hit Netflix series Escaping Twin Flames and currently filming a 9/11 documentary at Guantanamo Bay, Daniel’s career has taken him to some of the world’s most complex and consequential stories.Fresh off serving as a guest speaker for Seaver College's “Directing for the Screen” course this spring, Daniel opens up about how storytelling is sometimes more about questions than answers — and why the best journalists, filmmakers, and playwrights are really just people brave enough to interrogate themselves. He reflects on what it means to enter dangerous subcultures with a tape recorder and no agenda other than to listen, and he has earned trust from the most unlikely of characters by simply giving them a space to speak. Coby and Daniel dig into the creative tension between the solitary work of writing and the collaborative electricity of theater and film and consider why Daniel believes the age of AI is not the death of human storytelling — but possibly its greatest invitation yet.His message to aspiring storytellers is clear: take notes, follow your obsessions, interview your parents, and don't be afraid of the darkness in your own imagination. The only way out is through.Daniel Voll is a journalist, playwright, screenwriter, and executive producer whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair and Esquire. His new book, On the Run with Mad Bombers, Outlaw Lovers, and Movie Stars, is available now.Get the book here - https://www.amazon.com/Bombers-Outlaw-Lovers-Movie-Stars/dp/1958861421Learn more about Pepperdine University - https://www.pepperdine.edu/Connect with Pepperdine: Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pepperdine Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/pepperdine Follow us on Instagram - https://instagram.com/pepperdine

What does it mean to pursue truth in a world that would rather keep ideas safe and untested?

In this episode of PeppTalk, Alexa and Coby sit down with Professor Jonathan Koch — professor of English and Great Books at Seaver College — to explore what a genuine liberal arts education looks like: when faith and learning are treated not as separate things to be integrated, but as something that was never meant to be divided in the first place.Professor Koch draws on John Milton's Areopagitica to argue that truth doesn't emerge from debate but is revealed through it. This distinction shapes everything from how he teaches Shakespeare across LA's theater scene to why he advises Pepperdine's Veritas Club, a student-led space where intellectual rigor and Christian faith meet weekly to test the ideas that matter most.

For prospective students wondering whether a liberal arts degree is worth it, Professor Koch has a simple but countercultural answer: your vocation right now is to be a student. Do that well, and the rest will follow.Jonathan Koch is an Assistant Professor of English at Pepperdine University's Seaver College, where he teaches Renaissance poetry, Shakespeare, and Great Books. He received his PhD from Washington University in St. Louis and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Caltech and the Huntington Library. He serves as faculty advisor for Pepperdine's Veritas Club.

What does studying both science and great books teach a person, and what kind of life does that integration prepare one for? In this episode of PeppTalk, hosts Alexa and Coby sit down with Vera Syers, a graduating senior of Pepperdine's Seaver College Class of 2026, in her final week as a Pepperdine student. The conversation is a graduation-week reflection on what four years in the lab and at the great books table have taught Vera, and what she carries into her life post-grad.

In this episode of PeppTalk, Coby Dolloff sits down with Professor Ron Highfield — theologian, author, and 37-year member of the Pepperdine faculty — to explore the ideas behind his new book, The Christian University and the Academic Establishment.Professor Highfield has spent decades thinking carefully about what it means to educate students as Christians — forming them to think about God, their vocations,their relationships, and the world through a distinctly Christian lens. In this conversation, he unpacks why the word "Christian" has to mean something concrete, how universities like Harvard and Yale drifted from their founding missions, and what it will take for places like Pepperdine to hold the line.You'll hear about the surprising history of higher education in America, the very real pressures — legal, financial, and cultural — that Christian universities face today, and why Ron believes finding faculty who are both academically excellent and deeply Christian is one of the hardest and most important challenges of our time.Ron Highfield is Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University's Seaver College, where he has taught theology and Christian thought for 37 years. His new book, The Christian University and the Academic Establishment, is available now.

What does studying both science and great books teach a person, and what kind of life does that integration prepare one for? In this episode of PeppTalk, hosts Alexa and Coby sit down with Vera Syers, a graduating senior of Pepperdine's Seaver College Class of 2026, in her final week as a Pepperdine student. The conversation is a graduation-week reflection on what four years in the lab and at the great books table have taught Vera, and what she carries into her life post-grad.

What does it mean to be a truly Christian university?

In this episode of PeppTalk, Coby sits down with Professor Ron Highfield — theologian, author, and 37-year member of the Pepperdine faculty — to explore the ideas behind his new book, The Christian University and the Academic Establishment.

Professor Highfield has spent decades thinking carefully about what it means to educate students as Christians — forming them to think about God, their vocations,their relationships, and the world through a distinctly Christian lens. In this conversation, he unpacks why the word "Christian" has to mean something concrete, how universities like Harvard and Yale drifted from their founding missions, and what it will take for places like Pepperdine to hold the line.

You'll hear about the surprising history of higher education in America, the very real pressures — legal, financial, and cultural — that Christian universities face today, and why Ron believes finding faculty who are both academically excellent and deeply Christian is one of the hardest and most important challenges of our time.

Whether you're a student, a faculty member, an administrator, or simply someone who cares about the future of Christian higher education — this episode is a thoughtful and honest look at what's at stake, and what it will take to get it right.

Ron Highfield is Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University's Seaver College, where he has taught theology and Christian thought for 37 years. His new book, The Christian University and the Academic Establishment, is available now: https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Univ...

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What does it take to grow a family business and remain true to the values that built it?

In this episode of PeppTalk, host Alexa sits down with Henning Strauss — CEO and owner of STRAUSS, Europe’s leading workwear brand, and Seaver College’s 2026 Distinguished Alumnus — to explore how purpose-driven leadership can shape both a company and a life.

Henning traces his unlikely path from a small town in Germany to the Malibu coast, sharing what led him to take a leap of faith and study at Pepperdine. As a business administration major, Strauss quickly felt at home within Pepperdine’s welcoming campus community. He immersed himself in his coursework with the goal of one day contributing to his family’s business back home. For Strauss, Pepperdine’s values-centered curriculum, emphasis on servant leadership, and guiding Christian mission created an environment that shaped his leadership philosophy and inspired him to become a lifelong learner.

In this conversation, you’ll hear how Henning went from working in the company warehouse to the CEO seat, what it means to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy, and how STRAUSS became the official workwear partner of Major League Baseball. He also shares his perspective on leadership, brand authenticity, and why giving back to the Pepperdine community remains an important part of his journey today.

Whether you're a student exploring your next step, an entrepreneur building something from the ground up, or someone who believes there's always more to learn and more to come, this episode is an invitation to think bigger about what business, service, and legacy can look like in practice.

Henning Strauss

Henning Strauss is CEO and co-owner of STRAUSS (Engelbert Strauss), Europe’s premier workwear brand. Founded by his grandfather, Engelbert, in 1948, STRAUSS has grown from a regional German supplier into a global manufacturer generating more than $1.54 billion in annual revenue. The company is known for engineering high-performance clothing and gear for builders, farmers, and tradespeople worldwide.

Under Henning’s leadership, STRAUSS has expanded aggressively into the US market and secured a landmark partnership as the official workwear of Major League Baseball. A 2001 graduate of Pepperdine University’s Seaver College, where he studied business administration, Henning now returns as Seaver College’s 2026 Distinguished Alumnus — mentoring students, exploring educational opportunities for STRAUSS employees, and living out Pepperdine’s motto: Freely ye received, freely give.

What does it mean to do business on Monday the way you worship on Sunday?

In this episode of PeppTalk, Alexa sits down with Professor Jooho Lee — business professor at Seaver College and lead investigator of Pepperdine's Faith and Business Initiative — to explore one of the most overlooked tensions in modern professional life: the gap between faith and work. Professor Lee calls it the "Sunday-Monday gap" — the disconnect between the values people hold in their spiritual lives and the decisions they make in the marketplace. Funded by a $260,000 Templeton Foundation grant, his initiative is working to close that gap through research, a fellowship program, and a growing campus conversation about what a genuine theology of business might look like.

Jooho Lee is an Associate Professor of Business Ethics and Law at Pepperdine University's Seaver College. He received his PhD in business ethics and legal studies from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned his JD from Penn Law School. He additionally holds an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. His research focuses on the ethical and legal issues associated with theories of markets and firms, and his work has been published in Business Ethics Quarterly, Berkeley Business Law Journal, Tulane Law Review, Christian Scholar's Review, Philosophy of Management, Journal of Business Ethics, and more. Professor Lee is the lead investigator of Pepperdine's Faith and Business Initiative, which brings together scholars, practitioners, and students to explore the theological dimensions of business and what it means to close the Sunday-Monday gap."

Why do people still read thousand-year-old books — and why does it matter more now than ever? In this episode of PeppTalk, host Coby Dolloff sits down with two of the foremost experts on the Great Books tradition to explore what these timeless texts have to teach us about how to live, how to think, and who we are.

Jeremy Wayne Tate, founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test, and Jessica Hooten Wilson, Pepperdine's Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books, have each devoted their careers to the same conviction: that the books which have endured for centuries have endured for a reason. Together, they reflect on the great works that shaped their own lives and careers — and make the case for why every generation needs to wrestle with them anew.

In this conversation, you'll hear how reading Homer, Dante, and Dostoevsky, can form character in ways no algorithm or career training program can replicate, why the classics speak across cultures and centuries to the deepest questions of human experience, and what it looks like to build an education — and a life — around the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty.

Whether you've never cracked open a Great Book or you’re a scholar of classics, this episode is an invitation to discover the invitation to the Great Conversation — and why accepting the invitation just might change your life.