In this second installment of our new series, Inside Upper House, Dan, Dan, Aiden, and Ilya discuss podcasting at Upper House, and especially our new UpWords Student Voices podcast, which is wrapping up its first season. 

Send us a message at [email protected].

Credits: music by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Historian Lauren Turek, associate professor at Trinity University, joins Dan to discuss her recent book, To Bring the Good News to All Nations: Evangelical Influence on Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Relations (Cornell, 2020). They discuss the rise of organized evangelical human rights activism beginning in the 1970s and explore the complicated and surprising relationship of the activism to U.S. foreign relations. For more on Lauren see her personal website. Finally, see this roundtable review of Lauren's book, to which Dan contributed. 

Send us a message at [email protected].

Credits: music by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

We're moving to a weekly podcast! Alongside our regular stream of interviews with scholars, leaders, and artists, we're adding more conversations focused on the inner workings of Upper House. Inside Upper House episodes will feature shorter conversations with Upper House staff that give a sense of all that happens at 365 East Campus Mall in Madison, Wisconsin. 

For our first episode Dan, Becca, and Eric discuss our Fellows Program--where it came from, what it is, and how it's shaping up for the 2021-22 school year. If the Fellows Program sounds like something you're interested in applying to, or you know someone who might be interested, visit the Fellow Program home page.

Send us a message at [email protected].

Credits: music by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Artist Leslie Iwai joins Melissa as they discuss Leslie's path toward becoming an installation artist, the themes and concepts in her work, and art's relationship to faith and culture. For more on Leslie, including information on her installations, see her personal website. Upper House's ongoing exhibition through May 6, which includes Leslie's "Share Table," is titled UNVEILED Prayers of the People.

Send us a message at [email protected].

Credits: music by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Curtis Chang discusses COVID-19 vaccines and the role that churches can play in the healing of society. He speaks with Science for the Church co-founder Greg Cootsona. 

Curtis Chang is co-founder of Redeeming Babel and the resource site Christians and the Vaccine. He is also on the faculty of the Duke Divinity School, a Senior Fellow at Fuller Theological Seminary, and author of multiple books including Engaging Unbelief: A Captivating Strategy from Augustine and Aquinas.

Send us a message at [email protected].

Credits: music by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Science for the Church co-founder Drew Rick-Miller interviews Rob Barrett, until recently the chief operating officer of The Colossian Forum, an organization specializing in conflict resolution. Rob shares about his journey to this work, the philosophy and practice of "The Colossian Way," and some of the key areas of church conflict around issues of faith and science.

The UpWords Podcast is an initiative of Upper House. This episode was produced in partnership with Science for the Church.

Send us a message at [email protected].

Credits: music by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Rebecca hosts a group of multiethnic Christians to reflect on the unique beauties--and challenges--of living out mixed ethnic and cultural identities. Along with Rebecca the group includes Aiden Detienne, Niccole Khail, Peter Shackelford, and Chandra Crane, author of Mixed Blessing: Embracing the Fullness of Your Multiethnic Identity (IVP, 2020). 

This conversation follows a live event at Upper House that can be viewed here.

We welcome comments on this episode at [email protected].

The UpWords Podcast is produced by Upper House. Music is by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Melissa speaks with Peter Tan, the Chief Design Officer at Strang, Inc., an award-winning architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firm in Madison, WI. Together they cover the spiritual significance of space, how architects are responding to COVID realities, the missional significance of buildings, and much more. 

We welcome comments on this episode at [email protected].

The UpWords Podcast is produced by Upper House. Music is by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Cam Anderson, Associate Director at Upper House, talks with friend and fellow artist Makoto Fujimura about his new book, Art and Faith: A Theology of Making (Yale University Press, 2021). They cover a wide range of topics including the nature of creativity, imagination and faith, and an artist's response to the world's brokenness.

Makoto Fujimura is a world-renowned artist, writer, and speaker. Of his many accolades, he founded the International Arts Movement and served as a presidential appointee on the National Council of the Arts from 2003-2009. His other books include Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life (IVP, 2017).

We welcome comments on this episode at [email protected].

The UpWords Podcast is produced by Upper House. Music is by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Eric Carlsson interviews friend and fellow UW history alumnus Paul Grant on Paul's new book, Healing and Power in Ghana: Early Indigenous Expressions of Christianity (Baylor, 2020). Paul shares about his upbringing as a missionary kid, his fascination with the Gold Coast, and his efforts to try to understand both missionaries and Ghanan Christians on their own terms. The book, and this discussion, shed light on major themes in the history of global Christianity--a subject American Christians all too often ignore. 

Paul Grant is a lecturer in history at UW-Madison, UW-Platteville, and North Park University, and he resides in Madison with his family. 

The UpWords Podcast is produced by Upper House. Music is by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.