The UpWords Podcast
Each week, we sit down with scholars, authors, and leaders to explore faith, vocation, culture, and what it means to think and live well. For curious Christians and honest seekers. An initiative of SLBF STUDIO at Upper House in Madison, WI.
Episodes
180 episodes
Faith, Politics, and the Culture War | Justin Giboney
What does it look like to be a faithful Christian in the public square without losing your soul in the process? In this conversation, host Rebecca Cooks sits down with Justin Giboney — attorney, ordained minister, political strategist, and co-f...
Dallas Willard's Vision for Discipleship: Kingdom Apprenticeship | Keas Keasler
Dallas Willard believed that the aim of God in human history is the formation of a community of loving persons — people apprenticed to Jesus, shaped by his character, and prepared to co-reign with him in eternity. In this episode of The UpWords...
What Does It Mean to Be Human in the Age of AI? | Noreen Herzfeld
Artificial intelligence is everywhere — but what does it mean for us as humans, as embodied creatures, and as people of faith? In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Johnson sits down with Noreen Herzfeld, a computer scientist turned ...
The Gospel of Being Human: How Asking Better Questions of the Bible Reveals Who We Are | Reed Dent
What does it mean to be human before God? In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Johnson sits down with pastor and author Reed Dent, whose new book The Gospel of Being Human: How Asking Better Questions of the Bible Reveals Who We...
Forgiveness, Peacemaking, and the Courage to Reconcile | Todd Deatherage
What role does forgiveness play in the hard, often painful work of building peace? In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Jean Geran sits down with her longtime friend Todd Deatherage, co-founder of Telos, a nonprofit helping leaders navi...
Making Peace with the Proximate: Vocation, Faithfulness, and the Questions That Shape a Life | Steve Garber
What does it mean to give yourself fully to something — a marriage, a calling, a city, a cause — and still make peace with the fact that you won't get everything you hoped for? In this episode of The Upwards Podcast, host John Terrill sits down...
Building Madison: Placemaking, Belonging, and the City We're Becoming
What does it take to build a city where every person truly belongs? In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, we walk the streets of Madison, Wisconsin — metaphorically and literally — with two people who have spent their careers shaping it.<...
Mourning God: Grieving Loss, Wrestling with God, and Finding Your Way Back to Life | Tiffany Stein
In this episode of The Upwards Podcast, host Tressa Spingler sits down with author and pastor Tiffany Stein for a conversation that goes where the church often doesn't — into the deep, disorienting territory of grief, lament, and the silence of...
Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace | Mark DeYmaz
In this deeply reflective conversation, host John Terrill welcomes pastor, author, and practitioner Mark DeYmaz for an exploration of Christian peacemaking. Drawing from his new book Make Me an Instrument of Peace and ...
Finding your Way Out of Shame | S.J. Parrott
In this deeply honest and theologically rich episode of The Upwards Podcast, host Jean Geran sits down with philosopher and biblical scholar S.J. (Shannon) Parrott for a wide‑ranging conversation on shame—what...
The Pastor as Gardener: Cultivating Ministry with Hope | Matt Erickson
In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host John Terrill welcomes pastor and author Matt Erickson for a rich, thoughtful exploration of pastoral ministry through the lens of agrarian imagery. Drawing from his new book The Pastor a...
Lenten Resources: Wilderness, the Cross, and What to Read | Byron Borger
In this Lenten conversation, host Tressa Spingler sits down with longtime bookseller and friend of Upper House, Byron Borger of Hearts & Minds Books, to explore how the church year—and especially Lent—can shape our discipleship. They reflec...
You Have a Calling: Vocation, Work, and the Myths We Believe | Karen Swallow Prior
In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Johnson sits down with author and scholar Karen Swallow Prior to explore one of the most pressing questions of our time: What is my calling? Drawing from her new book, <...
Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? | John Fea
In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Hummel sits down with historian John Fea, distinguished professor at Messiah College and visiting fellow at the Lumen Center, to explore one of the most debated questions in American history: Was...
Worth Doing: Fallenness, Finitude, and Work in the Real World | David Buschart and Ryan Tafilowski
In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host John Terrill sits down with theologians David Buschart and Ryan Tafilowski, co-authors of Worth Doing: Fallenness, Finitude, and Work in the Real World. Together, they explore a mor...
Racial Justice for the Long Haul | Dr. Christine Jeske
In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Rebecca Cooks sits down with Dr. Christine Jeske—professor, researcher, and author of Racial Justice for the Lo...
Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies: Advent/Christmas | Abby Olcese
In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Daniel Johnson sits down with film critic and author Abby Olcese to explore how movies can deepen our spiritual rhythms throughout the church calendar. Abby shares insights from her book,&nb...
Forgiveness as a Lifelong Journey | Father Chad Magnuson
Forgiveness isn’t a one-time decision—it’s a process that touches every part of our lives. In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Jean Geran sits down with Father Chad Magnuson, an Anglican pastor and PhD in psychology, to explor...
AI Goes to Church | Todd Korpi
What happens when artificial intelligence enters the sanctuary? In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Daniel Johnson talks with author and researcher Todd Korpi about his new book, AI Goes to Church...
The Transformative Power of Forgiveness | Dr. Robert Enright
Forgiveness is one of the most challenging—and liberating—virtues we can practice. In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Jean Geran, sits down with Dr. Robert Enright, a pioneer in the scientific study of forgiveness and th...
Entering Advent with Intention | Byron Borger
In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, we sit down with Byron Borger, owner of Hearts & Minds Bookstore, for a rich conversation about Advent—the season of waiting, longing, and hope. Byron shares personal stories, spiritual insig...
REPLAY: The Jailhouse Lawyer
In this powerful replay from a live event at Upper House, we hear the extraordinary story of Calvin Duncan, a man wrongfully convicted at age 19 and sentenced to life in Louisiana’s Angola Prison. Over 23 years, Calvin became a jailhouse lawyer...
Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History | Tal Howard
Historian Tal Howard joins host Dan Hummel to discuss his new book Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History (Yale University Press). This episode dives deep into the global history of secularism, examining how different for...
Democracy from Local Love to Global Justice: Christian Citizenship in Action | Nicole Bibbins Sedaca
In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Jean Geran speaks with Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and former Executive VP at Freedom House. As part of our series on Christian citize...
