While many hold to the belief that hell exists, opinions differ greatly on what exactly this place looks like. Is it a literal torture pit of burning flames...or a place of complete isolation and void? Is it permanent...or is nothing beyond redemption? Natalie, Silas, and Gracia explore these questions as they discuss this dark and sometimes "taboo" topic.Sources:“The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis“Mysterium Paschale” and “Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved? With a Short Discourse on Hell” by Hans Urs Von Balthasar“Love Wins” by Rob Bell“Inferno” by Dante

We sit down with Kardia Dunah to discuss her passion for the Black Lives Matter movement and why it is important. Kardia shares her experience of having a Liberian family, growing up in a predominantly white community, and how white media has impacted America’s vision of innocence, beauty, and intelligence.(Gracia was once again unable to join the interview from her remote location in the woods of northern Wisconsin, but sends all her love and support and is greatly missed).

We sit down with JC Herring to discuss the development of the Black Lives Matter movement and why it is important. He shares his experience being a biracial student at a predominately white institution within a predominately white community.

The gospel’s key message is reconciliation, yet the Church in America is more divided than ever before. How can Christians play a role in racial reconciliation? In this episode, we interview Dr. Rusty Hawkins, an American historian who has devoted his career to understanding the history of race and Christianity in the United States. He elaborates on the direct effects of racialization in our society today and how the Church can take steps towards becoming a catalyst for systemic change.Warning: You may also hear our second guest for the episode, a friendly lawnmower outside the window.Readings:Book “Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America” by Michael Emerson and Christian SmithArticle “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi CoatesArticle “The Persistent Problem” by Michael EmersonPodcast “The Problem We All Live With” by The American Life

Does anyone really know what happens when we die? Could it be half-naked babies, streets of gold, fullness, dirt, flying, pooping, and spoons all within a present reality? Ideas of heaven are vastly diverse and yet Christians all claim to believe in it. In this episode, Silas, Gracia, and Natalie tease out their beliefs on heaven as well as popular beliefs from the Church.Sources: The BEMA Podcast. 105: An Explosive Kingdom. Tim Mackie, "Compelled: Speaking & Living the Gospel.” C.S. Lewis, "The Great Divorce."

The Gospel provides a beautiful image of one, united kingdom—a kingdom that isn’t limited by the boundaries of this world. But if this is so, why doesn’t the Church look like this? Why is there still so much division, hatred, and polarity? In this episode, Gracia explores the topic of reconciliation and the choices that each of us have with the bricks and boundaries of our lives.Sources: “Exclusion & Embrace” by Miroslav Volf; Sermon “Mission Center” by Steve DeNeff.

What happens when faith ceases to provide adequate answers to the big questions in life? What do we do when we look behind the curtain into the Holy of Holies and find nothing but void? In this episode, Silas unpacks his own journey through deconstruction and explains how faith seldom leads to certainty, but rather to the pursuit of asking good questions and accepting uncertainty.

Standing in front of someone completely bare is terrifying... until it isn’t. In this episode, Natalie discusses how vulnerability is essential to fruitful relationships. In a world where everyone is hiding behind walls, we can step out to be fully seen, fully known, and fully out of control.Sources:“Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown.“Exclusion and Embrace” by Miroslav Volf.

The foods we eat have the power to shape our bodies, but the habits we have can shape our souls. In this episode, we explore how our habits form us into certain types of people, how we can be intentional about who we are becoming, and why what we do reveals our telos.Sources:"You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit" by James K.A. Smith (2016)"The Divine Commodity" by Skye Jethani (2009)

Welcome to the Telos Podcast! In this episode, Silas, Gracia, and Natalie spill the tea on who they are and what this podcast is all about.