Nuance: Being Faithful in the Public Square

The Collaborative
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Christianity

Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative helping Christians to faithfully live out their faith in their work. We recognize most of life is not lived in black and white but rather lived in the gray, lived in the nuance. You can find more, including complementary spiritual exercises, at www.collaborativeorlando.com/nuance.

  1. 1d ago

    Faith Under Pressure: Loving Others in an Angry World | Dr. Case Thorp

    You believe faith belongs in the public square, and you've tried to be a faithful presence, but you are simply tired. What happens when your neighbors aren't interested in connecting, or your workplace treats your convictions as a liability?   Facing a culture that is increasingly hostile to faith can be exhausting, tempting many to adopt a posture of grievance or to withdraw into their comfortable homes.   In this episode of Nuance, regular host Case Thorp takes the hot seat as guest host Katie Shook asks the hard questions about faith under pressure. Case gets honest about the real cost of showing up in the public square, sharing a personal story about a neighborhood dispute over backyard chickens that tested his commitment to loving his neighbors. They unpack the difference between engaging culture with grace versus angrily fighting back, the temptation to make faith overly palatable, and why creating new things is a better response than endless critique.   From finding hope in the longevity of institutions to learning how to focus on the micro when national issues feel overwhelming, Case and Katie provide a practical roadmap for staying grounded and kind in an angry world.   🔑 Key Topics Covered in This Episode: 🐔 The Cost of Presence: A firsthand look at what it costs to stay engaged, featuring a story about zoning laws, backyard chickens, and maintaining a Christian witness when neighbors push back.   🎨 Creating vs. Critiquing: Why Christians should focus on creating art, beauty, and positive environments rather than just sitting back and complaining about cultural shifts.   🏛️ The Power of Institutions: Exploring why society has lost trust in organizations, and why investing in healthy, long-lasting institutions is still crucial for stability.   🔬 Focusing on the Micro: Practical encouragement to stop stressing over massive national headlines and start serving the people directly in front of you.  🚪 Knowing When to Step Back: How to exercise wisdom and discernment when someone isn't ready for a deeper conversation, and learning to trust God's timing.  For more resources, including ways to get involved with The Collaborative, visit wecolabor.com Timestamps0:00 Do You Know Your Neighbors? 0:21 Case Thorp Takes the Hot Seat  2:54 Exploring Faith In The Public Square  3:17 The Real Cost Of Faithful Presence  4:06 Navigating Zoning Laws and Backyard Chickens  9:09 Maintaining Righteousness During Conflict  10:21 When Christians Should Withdraw From Culture  11:58 Staying Kind In A Tacky Culture  14:09 Assessing Cultural Hostility Toward Faith  16:47 Avoiding a Posture of Grievance  18:13 The Danger of Making Faith Too Palatable  19:50 Creating New Culture Instead of Critiquing  21:47 Escaping The Comfort of Netflix Homes  25:10 Handling People Who Reject You  28:58 Why Society Needs Long Term Institutions  32:25 Knowing When To Shut Down Failing Institutions  35:54 Finding Real Rest When You Feel Burned Out  38:26 Solving Overwhelm By Focusing on the Micro  40:30 The Powerful Lessons of Staying in One Place  43:21 The Biggest Fear for the Modern Church  44:43 Final Thoughts

    46 min

  2. Jun 18

    Deconstruction, Spiritual Lament, & the Dark Night of the Soul with Catherine McNeil & Jason Hague

    What happens when the foundational beliefs of your faith meet deep personal suffering? For many believers, major life wounds, like childhood church hurt or the loss of a close friend, make a good and powerful God feel distant. When the anchor meant to hold you steady seems to give way, the spiritual crisis makes all other suffering worse. In this episode of Nuance, host Case Thorp welcomes back Catherine McNiel and Jason Hague, co-authors of Mid-Faith Crisis, to discuss the personal origin stories behind their book. Catherine shares the difficult experience of being shunned by her church family at twelve years old. Jason discusses the grief of his children's severe health diagnoses and the loss of a close friend, leaving him preaching sermons he was not sure he believed. Case also shares about trusting God's providence during his wife's battle with cancer and a recent stroke. Catherine and Jason offer practical steps for surviving dark spiritual valleys, like practicing honest lament and using contemplative prayer to calm the nervous system. They explain how taking your anger directly to God and finding a safe community can lead to a mature faith. 🔑 Key Topics Covered in This Episode: 🌪️ The Compounding Crisis: A faith crisis makes health or vocational struggles much harder. We discuss what it feels like when your spiritual anchor is lost.💔 The Broken Contract: The unique struggle of believing in a good and powerful God when circumstances are painful.🐑 The Seeking Shepherd: Catherine's experience of trusting God's slow providence and moving from decades of darkness into new spiritual life.🗣️ The Power of Lament: Hiding our anger creates distance from God. We look at why bringing your frustration to the Lord is a biblical practice.🧘 Contemplative Healing: Using the Prayer of Examen and breath prayers to soothe spiritual trauma and remember what we already believe.📚 Episode Resources: Mid-Faith Crisis: Finding a Path Through Doubt, Disillusionment, and Dead Ends by Catherine McNiel and Jason Hague: https://www.ivpress.com/mid-faith-crisisCatherine McNiel's website: https://catherinemcniel.com/Jason Hague's website: https://jasonhague.comInterVarsity Press: https://www.ivpress.com/Timestamps:0:00 The Challenge of a Good God 0:35 The Backstory of "Mid-Faith Crisis"  2:00 Catherine's Story: Enduring Church Hurt at Age 12  5:28 Jason's Story: Adulthood, Grief, and Unanswered Prayers  7:44 Why Faith Crises Compound All Other Suffering  12:00 Finding God as the Seeking Shepherd  14:48 Trusting God's Providence Through Severe Health Trials  17:09 Advice for Those Currently in a Faith Crisis  18:59 The Power of Honest Lament  23:05 Contemplative Practices and the Prayer of Examen  27:11 Advice for the Next Generation: Don't Walk Alone  28:54 Concluding Thoughts

    31 min

  3. Jun 11

    Mid-Faith Crisis: Finding a Path Through Doubt, Disillusionment, & Dead Ends with Catherine McNiel & Jason Hague

    What happens when the confident, inherited faith you've relied on suddenly fractures? Many believers eventually hit a wall where doubt, suffering, or church hurt make everything they thought they knew feel like it's dissolving.  Navigating this disillusionment isn't a sign of failure. It is often a deeply normal, expected part of the spiritual lifecycle that is rarely talked about openly.  In this episode of Nuance, host Case Thorp sits down with Catherine McNiel and Jason Hague, co-authors of the book Mid-Faith Crisis. Catherine and Jason unpack the difference between toxic spiritual environments and normal human failing, the danger of bringing consumer-culture expectations into our theology, and how to survive the inevitable valleys of faith. Drawing on their pastoral and personal experiences, they provide a roadmap for believers who feel stuck, showing that the path to true spiritual maturity often requires moving past easy answers and learning to sit in the sanctuary of God's presence.  From releasing unrealistic expectations to understanding the spiritual rhythms of consolation and desolation, Catherine and Jason help modern believers see how pressing through the darkness eventually leads to a more resilient, flourishing faith.  🔑 Key Topics Covered in This Episode: 📉 The Mid-Faith Crisis: Defining what it means to hit a spiritual dead end after years of commitment, and why it so closely parallels a mid-life crisis. ⛰️ Valleys vs. Mountaintops: Why the expectation of a constantly flourishing faith is unbiblical, and how to embrace the natural spiritual seasons of consolation and desolation. ⛪ Navigating Church Hurt: Discerning the crucial difference between toxic, abusive institutions that lack accountability and normal, flawed human communities. 🛒 Consumer-Culture Christianity: How "magic bullet" theology and false expectations set us up for profound disappointment when real-world suffering strikes. 📖 Psalm 73 and Sanctuary: Finding hope and reorientation not by demanding immediate answers, but by remaining present in the sanctuary of God. 📚 Episode Resources: Mid-Faith Crisis: Finding a Path Through Doubt, Disillusionment, and Dead Ends by Catherine McNiel and Jason Hague: https://www.ivpress.com/mid-faith-crisisCatherine McNiel's website: https://catherinemcniel.com/Jason Hague's website: https://jasonhague.comInterVarsity Press: https://www.ivpress.com/Timestamps:0:00 Introducing Catherine McNeil and Jason Hague  3:18 The Reality of Mid-Faith Crisis 5:09 Case's Story of Church Brokenness  6:08 Defining a "Mid-Faith Crisis"  8:08 Unmet Expectations and Disappointment  9:42 Normalizing the Valley: Moving Off the Mountaintop  12:09 Understanding Consolation and Desolation  14:41 How Consumer Culture Warps Faith Expectations  16:20 The Impact of Suffering and Disillusionment  17:56 Navigating Toxic Institutions and Church Scandal  25:17 When God Doesn't Meet Our Expectations  29:48 Finding Hope in Psalm 73  31:50 Releasing Expectations and Embracing Curiosity  34:00 The Fear of Losing Jesus  35:56 Practical Steps for Spiritual Renewal  38:35 Concluding Thoughts

    41 min

  4. Jun 4

    Miracles, Burnout, and Prayer: Real Doctors Ask Dr. Mark David Topazian

    What happens when the deep questions forged in exam rooms, hospital corridors, and long nights on call are brought to the forefront? In the modern medical economy, clinics and hospitals have become fast-paced hubs of technical performance, where patients and practitioners alike can easily feel reduced to mere commodities.    Healthcare professionals are suddenly being asked to carry overwhelming physical and emotional workloads, leading many to suffer from severe compassion fatigue.   The question is no longer whether our medical systems can cure physical ailments, but how practitioners can sustain their own humanity, empathy, and faith in the process.   In this follow-up Q&A episode of Nuance, host Case Thorp welcomes back gastroenterologist, professor, and author Dr. Mark Topazian to answer real-world questions submitted by practicing physicians. Dr. Topazian pulls back the curtain on the realities of clinical life, sharing insights on everything from unexpected miracles to the practical role of prayer at the bedside. From surviving 12-hour shifts to navigating the dehumanizing aspects of modern medicine, Dr. Topazian explains how to connect with God's presence to mitigate burnout.    Through their discussion, Dr. Topazian helps listeners see how a mature, Christian worldview can withstand the intense pressures of a modern healthcare culture. 🔑 Key Topics Covered in This Episode: 🩺 Compassion Fatigue vs. Burnout: Defining the weariness that builds from constant exposure to difficult situations, and how connecting to God as the source of compassion can mitigate emotional exhaustion.    ✨ Miracles & The Western Mind: Exploring unexpected cures, the intersection of science and the supernatural, and how resource-poor areas often display a greater openness to God's healing intervention compared to the empirical West.    🙏 Prayer at the Bedside: Practical advice on offering prayer without coercion, asking "would it help if I prayed with you?", and utilizing the TREAT acronym for prayers of lament.    🏥 The Dehumanizing System & AI: A candid look at how the busyness of modern US healthcare can reduce patients to commodities, and why Artificial Intelligence might actually help restore the human element by handling administrative burdens.    🎓 Advice for the Next Generation: Why medical students must look beyond clinical facts, find wise mentors to shadow, and learn to approach complex patient fears with holistic, spiritual care.    📚 Episode Resources: Healing Purpose: Finding Satisfaction in a Healthcare Career by Dr. Mark Topazian - www.ivpress.com/healing-purpose InterVarsity Press - www.ivpress.com Catch Part 1 of this conversation with Dr. Topazian here: https://youtu.be/LdUIoAe_P5o #podcast #podcastclips #faith #vocation #publicsquare #theology #listen #nuance #listenable #christianpodcast #christianliving #faithandwork  Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more.  Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith. Visit wecolabor.com for resources, events, and more. Timestamps0:00 Q&A on Faith, Healthcare, and Healing Purpose 2:34 Question 1: What is the Most Spectacular Unexpected Cure You've Seen? 4:40 Medical Improbabilities and Miracles in Madagascar 7:50 Question 2: How to Deal with Burnout and Compassion Fatigue 9:34 Discussing the Impact of 12-Hour ER Shifts 11:00 The Symptoms and Spiritual Solutions for Compassion Fatigue 14:08 The Power of Scripture Memory and Hymns in Crisis Moments 18:41 Question 3: The Role of Prayer in the Doctor-Patient Relationship 20:53 Navigating Patient Fear in the Operating Room 22:39 How to Offer Prayer Without Coercion 24:05 The TREAT Acronym: Praying Prayers of Lament 26:10 Question 4: Is the US Healthcare System Dehumanizing? 29:57 Question 5: Advice for Medical Students Entering the Field 30:29 A Defining Medical School Story: Empathy vs. Clinical Facts 34:06 Closing Thoughts

    36 min

  5. May 28

    Healing Purpose: Finding Satisfaction in a Healthcare Career with Dr. Mark David Topazian

    What happens when an industry built on burnout, staff shortages, and broken systems begins to lose its very soul? In the modern medical economy, clinics and hospitals have become fast-paced hubs of technical performance, where the deeper meaning of care is easily lost in the shuffle. Healthcare professionals are suddenly being asked to carry overwhelming physical and emotional workloads, leading many to feel exhausted or disenfranchised. The question is no longer whether our medical systems can cure physical ailments, but what kind of spiritual blindness is being formed in the process. In this episode of Nuance, host Case Thorp welcomes gastroenterologist, professor, and author Dr. Mark Topazian to explore vocation, perception, and spiritual reality in healthcare. Dr. Topazian pulls back the curtain on the rapid commercialization of medicine and shares how learning to see differently can restore purpose to an already overwhelming job without adding a single thing to a clinician's to-do list. From serving in international missions to taking practical spiritual histories at the bedside, Dr. Topazian explains how to recognize God’s kingdom active in our clinics and hospitals. Through their discussion, Dr. Topazian helps listeners see how a mature, Christian worldview can withstand the intense pressures of a modern healthcare culture. 🔑 Key Topics Covered in This Episode: 🏥 The Spiritual Blindness in Healthcare: Confronting the idea that clinics and hospitals are spiritually neutral or merely cold, empirical spaces, and establishing why all true healing ultimately points to the kingdom of God. 📜 The Christian History of the Hospital: A look back at how the Christian tradition and a biblical view of human dignity directly birthed the modern hospital system, transforming how society cares for the sick and disabled. 🩺 Burnout vs. Missing Meaning: Redefining clinical burnout not merely as a crisis of workload or long hours, but as a crisis of meaning that can be recovered through attentiveness and true seeing. 📋 The FICA & LORD Frameworks: Practical, non-coercive tools for healthcare workers to take spiritual histories, helping clinicians put on "3D glasses" to care for patients as body, soul, and spirit. 🌍 Global Medicine & Training: A look inside Dr. Topazian's current work in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, exploring the unique challenges and rewards of training the next generation of specialized physicians in Sub-Saharan Africa. 📚 Episode Resources: Healing Purpose: Finding Satisfaction in a Healthcare Career by Dr. Mark Topazian - www.ivpress.com/healing-purpose InterVarsity Press - www.ivpress.com #podcast #podcastclips #faith #vocation #publicsquare #theology #listen #nuance #listenable #christianpodcast #christianliving #faithandwork  Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more.  Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith. Visit wecolabor.com for resources, events, and more. Timestamps0:00 Spiritual Blindness in Healthcare1:02 Introducing Dr. Mark Topazian1:16 Moving to Ethiopia & Training Gastroenterologists2:51 Introducing "Healing Purpose" & The Crisis of Meaning3:57 The Realities of Compassion Fatigue & Burnout6:45 Hospitals are Outposts of God's Kingdom7:43 The Christian Roots of the Modern Hospital9:00 Processing Medical Grief: A Gotham Fellowship Story10:47 Unifying the Scientific and Scriptural Narratives12:26 The Biblical Concept of Shalom (Holistic Health)14:11 Putting on "3D Glasses" for Patient Care15:01 The FICA Framework for Spiritual Histories16:14 The Science of Faith and Health Outcomes19:12 Exploring Spiritual Curiosity with the "Nones"23:41 The LORD Framework & Religious Struggle27:18 Practicing Good Medicine While Integrating Faith28:51 Micro-Habits for Busy Clinicians (Lock Screens & Laments)32:41 The Reality of God in the Operating Room33:46 Advice for Early-Career Medical Professionals35:05 The Saline Process Workshop37:07 Final Encouragement, Episode Resources & Outro

    45 min

  6. May 21

    Inside the Massive Business of Modern College Football with Ben Godwin

    What happens when an industry built on competition, performance, and money begins to reshape itself overnight? In the modern sports economy, name, image, and likeness have become massive assets, and the transfer portal has completely rewritten the rules of loyalty.  College athletes are suddenly being asked to make massive, adult business decisions before they have even reached adult maturity. The question is no longer whether sports shape our culture, but what kind of people the system forms in the process. In this episode of Nuance, host Case Thorp welcomes Ben Godwin, Vice President of Licensing at Catapult, to explore faith, work, and moral presence in the modern sports economy. Ben pulls back the curtain on the rapid professionalization of college athletes and shares how faith and work shape his approach to leading with integrity in a high-speed system where incentives often point elsewhere. From sports data analytics to corporate clearances, Ben explains how to bring order and truth to a tumultuous landscape.  Through their discussion, Ben helps listeners see how a mature, Christian worldview can withstand the intense pressures of a "win-now" culture. 🔑 Key Topics Covered in This Episode: 📜 The NIL & Portal Revolution: Unpacking the rapid litigation that legally opened Pandora's box overnight, transforming the NCAA into a free-market system akin to professional free agency. 📊 The Power of Sports Data Analytics: How Catapult aggregates up to 800 data points a second from wearable player devices to manage athlete health, optimize performance, and drive media distribution. ⚖️ Protecting Athletes in "The Wild": Navigating the gray areas of booster deals and uncertified agents, and why unrepresented or lower-level college athletes are particularly vulnerable to being taken advantage of by major brands. ⏱️ The "Microwave Society": Confronting a cultural landscape that demands instant results, immediate payouts, and five-minute highlight reels at the expense of patience, mentoring, and character growth. 🙏 Spiritual Parenting & Biblical Parenting: A look inside Ben's life as a father of five, sharing practical parenting advice for raising kids with courage, trust, and faith through the chaos of daily life. 📚 Episode Resources:Catapult Sports Website: https://www.catapult.com #podcast #podcastclips #faith #vocation #publicsquare #theology #listen #nuance #listenable #christianpodcast #christianliving #faithandwork  Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more.  Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith. Visit wecolabor.com for resources, events, and more. Timestamps0:00 Faith, Work, and Moral Presence in Modern Sports1:17 Introducing Ben Godwin3:04 How Sports Data Is Used4:36 Wearables, Load Management, and Player Health5:32 Catapult in Pro, College, and High School Sports6:06 Media, NIL, and Monetizing Athlete Content6:55 Ben’s Career Path from Accounting to Sports Media8:14 Leading Catapult’s Licensing and Media Division10:13 Explaining Name Image Likeness and the Transfer Portal11:47 How NIL Changed Overnight in College Sports13:45 Transfer Portal as Free Agency and Roster Rebuilds14:15 What Fans Misunderstand About NIL and the Portal15:51 Booster Money, Gray Areas, and Legitimate NIL Deals17:00 Revenue Sharing and TV Money for Playoff Athletes18:37 Bringing Christian Integrity to NIL Deals and Business20:12 Caring for Less Represented and International Athletes23:25 Formation, Character, and a Microwave Sports Culture24:30 Leading a Values Driven Office26:29 Hidden Costs of the Portal27:53 Coaches Using the Portal to Turn Over Rosters28:48 Humanity Versus Metrics in the Sports Economy30:30 Highlights, Algorithms, and Changing Sports Consumption31:50 Developing Young Professionals in Sports Media33:54 Tension Among Athletes, Families, Coaches, and Agents35:24 Advice to Young Athletes Navigating NIL and Transfers36:56 Trusting Coaches, Authority, and Long Term Formation38:42 Faith, Parenting, and Micro Prayers in Daily Life41:04 Discipling Children and Planting Spiritual Seeds42:41 Closing Reflections

    44 min

  7. May 14

    Are You Accidentally a Heretic? The Trinity & Council of Nicea Explained with Dr. Jonathan Lett

    What happens when the foundational beliefs of your faith are suddenly up for debate? 1700 years ago, a fractured early church gathered not to innovate, but to confess—and to say something out loud, together, in public. Understanding the nature of Jesus and the Trinity is the absolute bedrock of the Christian faith, yet many modern believers struggle to articulate it. In this episode of Nuance, host Case Thorp welcomes back Dr. Jonathan Lett to explore the legacy of the Council of Nicaea and why a 4th-century debate still matters today. Jonathan unpacks the controversy surrounding the Arian heresy and clarifies how the Nicene Creed was ultimately about reading Scripture rightly. Drawing on his deep theological expertise, he makes the case that the doctrine of the Trinity isn't just an abstract puzzle, but the very foundation for Christian prayer, worship, and vocation. From navigating ancient theological debates to understanding complex terms like "consubstantial," Jonathan helps modern believers see how the eternal relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit directly shapes our daily lives. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: The Arian Heresy: Unpacking the 4th-century belief that Jesus was merely a created being and why getting this wrong threatens the Christian understanding of salvation.Reading Scripture Rightly: How the Council of Nicaea wasn't just about philosophical arguments, but about establishing the correct framework for interpreting the Bible.Begotten, Not Made: Decoding the complex, non-biological language of the Nicene Creed and why specific words were essential to defend the faith.Faith Seeking Understanding: Shifting from trying to intellectually solve the Trinity to actively participating in the eternal life of God through prayer and obedience.Trinitarian Vocation: How understanding God as a communal being changes how we approach our daily work and our role in the public sphere.Episode Resources:  LeTourneau University: https://www.letu.edu/Jesus Wars by Philip Jenkins: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095J2NQSL/ Theological Orations by Gregory of Nazianzus: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3102.htmFaith, Science, and Technology Initiative at LeTourneau University: https://www.letu.edu/academics/faith-science-technology-initiative/index.htmlNicea 2025: Why the Council of Nicea? - Dr. Jonathan Lett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFqsqUCNZNYNicea 2025: What the Trinity Tells Us About Who God is - Dr. Jonathan Lett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO9Md6yYLx0#podcast #podcastclips #faith #vocation #publicsquare #theology #listen #nuance #listenable #christianpodcast #christianliving #faithandwork #publicsquare Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more.  Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith. Visit wecolabor.com for resources, events, and more. Timestamps0:00 Foundations Of The Trinity & Christian Faith 0:19 The Council Of Nicaea's 1700th Anniversary 2:13 Historical Background To 325 AD 2:28 Reading Scripture & Early Debates About the Trinity 3:40 Monotheism & the Son 5:33 Obedience, Exaltation, & Biblical Tension About Jesus 7:10 Struggling To Understand The Trinity In Theology Class 7:37 Is The Son Equal with the Father? 9:29 Humor, Heretics, and Chickens 10:48 Alexander Versus Arius 11:09 Arianism Explained 14:05 Why The Trinity Matters For Salvation 16:03 The Nicene Creed on Christ 17:16 Incarnation, Salvation, And Human Nature Healed 20:01 What is Not Assumed is Not Redeemed 20:55 Messy Church Councils 23:41 Israel’s Broken Story 29:19 The Creed as Communal Confession 31:56 Using Father ^ Son Language Without Biological Confusion 32:58 Begotten Not Made 35:49 Faith Seeking Understanding & Trinitarian Prayer 39:46 Nicene Creed & Christian Vocation 42:27 Closing Thoughts

    44 min

  8. May 7

    A Theology of Technology: Bodies, Screens, and Boundaries with Dr. Jonathan Lett

    What happens when technology is not just something we use, but something that quietly catechizes us? For millions of people, our phones, algorithms, and digital tools are actively shaping our attention and reworking our labor. Finding a way to flourish in a tech-driven world is one of the defining spiritual challenges of our time, and many of us are underprepared to address it. In this episode of Nuance, host Case Thorp sits down with Dr. Jonathan Lett, Director of the Faith, Science, and Technology Initiative at LeTourneau University, to explore the foundational questions we must ask before we build the next big thing. Jonathan argues that before deciding what to do with tech, we must first understand what it means to be human. Drawing on theological anthropology and his deep study of limits, dependence, and embodied existence, he makes the case that true freedom isn't found in overcoming our boundaries, but in embracing them. From challenging the "Silicon Valley ideology" to understanding how technology offers shortcuts around our natural limits, Jonathan's work helps us integrate ancient Christian wisdom into our modern digital lives. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: The Silicon Valley Illusion: The myth that tech creators aren't responsible for their platforms, and why we must make public decisions about our digital tools.What It Means to Be Human: Redefining human nature through the lens of limits, dependence, and our deeply "embodied existence."Freedom Through Limits: How our modern allergy to limits hurts our spiritual formation, and why embracing constraints is the true path to freedom.The Anxious Generation: Discussing the impact of screens on children's mental health and the urgent need to protect the developing mind.Coding as Ministry: How LeTourneau University equips the next generation of engineers to view coding as a genuine theological calling. Episode Resources: Faith, Science, and Technology Initiative at LeTourneau University: https://www.letu.edu/academics/faith-science-technology-initiative/index.html Karl Barth as Theologian of Nature by Jonathan Lett: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0567728315 The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9N2L56X/#podcast #podcastclips #faith #vocation #publicsquare #theology #listen #nuance #listenable #christianpodcast #christianliving #faithandwork #publicsquare Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more.  Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith. Visit wecolabor.com for resources, events, and more. Timestamps0:00 Limits, Freedom, and True Christian Freedom 0:31 Introducing Dr. Jonathan Lett 1:36 LeTourneau University as a Christian Polytechnic Hub 3:19 Jonathan Lett’s Journey Into Theology & Technology 6:06 Karl Barth, Creation, & Theology of Nature 8:32 How Theological Anthropology Shapes Today’s Culture Wars 12:44 Limits, Dependence, and the Illusion of Limitless Technology 15:00 Medical Innovation, Suffering, and Creaturely Limits 15:52 Christian Vision of Human Flourishing 20:00 Embodied Existence 24:38 Augustine and the Goodness of the Body 25:36 Karl Barth on Being Made for Joy 31:49 Rethinking a Flourishing Society in a Technological Age 34:54 Silicon Valley Ideology and Moral Responsibility 38:12 Children, Screens, and the Teen Mental Health Crisis 41:34 Coding as Christian Ministry 43:19 Recovering Public Theology in a Polarized Culture 43:57 Closing Remarks

    46 min
See All (183)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative helping Christians to faithfully live out their faith in their work. We recognize most of life is not lived in black and white but rather lived in the gray, lived in the nuance. You can find more, including complementary spiritual exercises, at www.collaborativeorlando.com/nuance.

Information