Thinking Out Loud

Nathan Rittenhouse recently appeared on the Premier UnBelievable podcast to discuss the question, Do Animals have souls? His interlocutor in the discussion is Joyce D’Silva, Ambassador Emeritus for Compassion in World Farming. Click here to listen to the podcast and to read Nathan’s follow-up article. In this episode, we unpack Nathan’s conversation and we press into why the question of animal rights is so prevalent right now.

Nathan Rittenhouse argues that we live in a moment when our idealism is outpacing our capabilities. In this episode, we explore the tension of wanting to improve the world while facing our human limitations. 

Inspired by a recent article in Plough Magazine by Dr. Kathleen Mulhern, we decided to explore why so many of us drop all spiritual practices after five o’clock.

From road rage to people losing their tempers in public spaces (airports, restaurants, stores, etc.), anger is a dominant emotion in our cultural moment. Is it possible to be angry without losing control? Should we as Christian press toward a life that’s totally free of anger or is that wildly unrealistic? Join us as we press into this volatile emotion.

Swift backlash followed Drew Barrymore’s announcement that her show would move forward in spite of the ongoing writer’s strike. She’s since made the decision to postpone it. In this episode, we delve into the weird world of US entertainment and consider its relationship to work. 

Known as the Postman Pledge, a group of some 37 families have chosen to disavow all social media usage and smartphones in their homes. Predictably, not every member of the household is happy with this arrangement, but it does represent an interesting challenge to our tech-saturated moment. In this episode, we explore Postman Pledge, as well as our dependence on technology. 

Rolling Stone magazine recently published an exposé on the “toxic work environment” of the Tonight Show, pointing specifically to Fallon as a key contributor to the chaotic atmosphere behind the scenes. Known for his endearing mannerisms and affable personality, Fallon seemed to be a paragon of niceness. In this episode, we explore niceness and consider its relatively superficial nature.

A recent article offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the mindset of a pastor leaving his church. In this episode, we explore the pitfalls of a consumer approach to church, as well as some of the daunting challenges facing those who simply want to be faithful pastors, rather than CEOs and administrators.

There’s no avoiding it; this is an AI moment. But many of the fears about AI seem to vastly overestimate its nefarious capacities. In this episode, we explore the confusion surrounding this topic and consider how we might put our fears into perspective.

In a recent piece for First Things, Samuel Klumpenhouwer makes the case for displaced PhDs to find a home at classical schools. The job stability is better, the intellectual community is stimulating, and, perhaps most importantly, the students aren’t yet jaded and cynical. In this episode, we talk about the crisis in higher education and consider what form the education of our children ought to take.