Faith (In)Forming with Travis Jamieson

Travis Jamieson
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

A podcast about what informs our faith and how our faith forms us. Travis Jamieson is a pastor, author, and podcaster serving in Silicon Valley.

  1. 6d ago

    What the Bible Actually Teaches About Being a Man | Zachary Wagner on Men of Virtue

    The conversation about men and masculinity is everywhere right now — and most of it generates more heat than light. On one side: the manosphere's message that real men are warriors, dominance is the point, and the culture has gone soft. On the other: the insistence that masculinity itself is the problem. New Testament scholar Zachary Wagner thinks both answers are wrong — and that the church has something far better to offer. In this episode of the Faith Informing Podcast, I sit down with Zach to discuss his new book Men of Virtue: How the Fruit of the Spirit Forms Male Character in the Modern World (Brazos Press). Drawing on his Oxford D.Phil in New Testament Studies, Zach builds a vision of godly masculinity not from cultural stereotypes but from the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, including: → Why the fruit of the Spirit is the biblical framework most missing from the Christian masculinity conversation → How the Industrial, Sexual, and Technological Revolutions have created a genuine crisis of male identity, fatherlessness, and meaning → The "twin ditches" — why both the manosphere and toxic-masculinity rhetoric push men toward destruction → The difference between "man up" and "grow up" — and why that distinction matters for pastors and fathers → Why gentleness (praotes) is the virtue men most need — and how Jesus modeled it → What it looks like to use strength in the service of others rather than for self-actualization Whether you're a pastor trying to disciple men, a father raising sons, or a man trying to figure out what faithfulness looks like in your own body and life — this conversation is for you. 📖 Men of Virtue by Zachary Wagner — available wherever books are sold 📖 Non-Toxic Masculinity — Zachary's first book (Intervarsity Press) 🌐 Zachary Wagner's website: zacharycwagner.com 📱 Zachary on Substack & Instagram 🎙️ Subscribe to the Faith Informing Podcast for conversations at the intersection of Christian faith and formation. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Introduction 01:11 — How Travis and Zach go back over a decade 02:47 — Why Zach wrote Men of Virtue (and almost didn't) 09:00 — The fruit of the Spirit as a framework for male character 11:17 — Why hasn't the church used this framework before? 16:55 — Three historical revolutions disrupting male identity 22:00 — The fourfold crisis: education, fatherlessness, meaning, and character 23:43 — "Man up" vs. "Grow up" — what's the difference? 30:28 — Small-s sin and Capital-S Sin in the masculinity crisis 31:06 — The twin ditches: manosphere vs. toxic masculinity narrative 38:17 — One fruit of the Spirit every man needs right now 40:57 — Gentleness, physical strength, and what Zach tells his son 44:06 — Why apologizing to your kids is harder than it sounds 46:19 — Virtue formation leads to communities of shalom 47:18 — Where to find Zachary Wagner #ChristianMasculinity #MenOfVirtue #ZacharyWagner #FruitOfTheSpirit #FaithInformingPodcast #GodlyManhood #BiblicalMasculinity #ChristianMen #Manosphere #Discipleship

    43 min

  2. Jun 9

    What Is the Faith and Work Movement? (And Why Your Church Probably Never Taught You)

    What does your faith have to do with your job? For most Christians, Sunday and Monday feel like two completely different worlds — and that gap is not an accident. In this episode, pastor and Faith, Work & Tech Director Travis launches a new series on the Faith and Work movement: what it is, where it came from, and why it matters more than ever. We cover: * The "Sunday-Monday gap" and why most churches have never closed it * The Hebrew word avodah — and why the ancient world had no category for separating work from worship * Dorothy Sayers' prophetic 1942 challenge to the church * The three waves of the Faith and Work movement (Social Gospel → Ministry of the Laity → the modern movement) * Tim Keller, Os Guinness, and the scholars who built the theological foundation * Why this conversation is urgent right now — especially in a world being reshaped by AI and automation Whether you're a pastor, a professional, a student, or someone who's ever wondered if God actually cares what you do from 9 to 5 — this series is for you. 📚 Referenced in this episode: * God at Work — David Miller (Oxford University Press, 2007) * Every Good Endeavor — Tim Keller & Katherine Leary Alsdorf * The Call — Os Guinness * "Why Work?" — Dorothy Sayers (in Letters to a Diminished Church) 🎙️ Faith (In)Forming is hosted by Travis, pastor at Palo Alto Christian Reformed Church and Director of Church Engagement at the Bay Area Center for Faith, Work & Tech. ---------------------------------------- faith and work, theology of work, Christian vocation, Sunday Monday gap, Tim Keller, Dorothy Sayers, Os Guinness, avodah, marketplace ministry, faith at work movement, Christian podcast, Reformed theology, Silicon Valley faith, Bay Area church, calling and vocation, Every Good Endeavor, work and worship

    22 min

  3. Jun 1

    What Happens When Church Hurts? | Scot McKnight & Adrienne Gibson on the Traumatized Church

    What do you do when the place meant to bring healing becomes a source of pain? In this episode of Faith (In)Forming, Travis Jamieson sits down with New Testament scholar Scot McKnight and licensed professional counselor Adrienne Gibson — co-authors of Traumatized Church: What Paul's Relationship with the Corinthian Church Teaches Us About Helping Those Who Are Hurting — to explore what trauma really is, how it shows up in the church, and what it looks like to build communities where people can actually heal. They unpack: Why the Apostle Paul may be one of the most relatable trauma survivors in ScriptureThe difference between hyperarousal and hypoarousal — and what "fawning" actually meansHow even theological language (like calling God "Father") can trigger a trauma responseThe six pillars of trauma-informed care and how any church can begin applying themWhat pastors and church leaders need to hear — and do — firstWhether you've been hurt by a church, lead one, or simply want to love people better, this conversation is for you. 📖 Traumatized Church by Scot McKnight & Adrienne Gibson — available now wherever books are sold. 🎙️ Faith (In)Forming is the podcast that explores what informs our faith and how our faith forms us. #TraumatizedChurch #ScotMcKnight #ChurchTrauma #FaithInForming #TraumaInformedCare #ChristianPodcast #MentalHealthAndFaith #AdrienneGibson

    46 min

  4. May 25

    Faith, Pride & Gulliver's Travels | Karen Swallow Prior

    What if a 300-year-old satire about tiny people and giants is actually one of the most relevant books you can read right now? In this episode, host Travis Jamieson sits down with author, professor, and Substack writer Karen Swallow Prior to unpack Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels — not the children's story you remember, but the fierce, theologically rich satire beneath it. From the dawn of the Enlightenment to the age of AI, Swift's insights about human pride, perspective, and the limits of reason feel more urgent than ever. In this conversation: Why Gulliver's Travels is satire, not a novel — and why that mattersHow Swift's Christian faith shapes every voyageWhat Gulliver reveals about human perspectiveThe scatological humor that is actually a profound theological argumentWhy the fourth voyage — the land of the Houyhnhnms — is a warning, not a utopiaHow Swift's critique of frictionless rationality connects to AI, disability, and the IncarnationKaren Swallow Prior has written a free 16-part analysis of Gulliver's Travels on Substack — links below. Karen's Substack Tags: Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift, Christian literature, Karen Swallow Prior, classical books, satire, Enlightenment, theology, Christian podcast, great books, faith and culture, human nature, AI

    45 min

  5. May 18

    The Man Who Invented the Modern World | Graham Tomlin

    Blaise Pascal — mathematician, physicist, inventor, and theologian — helped shape the modern world while offering one of its most penetrating critiques of it. In this episode, Travis Jamieson sits down with Graham Tomlin (Bishop of Kensington, author of Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World) to explore why a 17th-century genius feels urgently relevant today. From the wristwatch to the computer to public transportation, Pascal's fingerprints are everywhere in modern life. But his deeper legacy may be his unflinching diagnosis of the human heart — our restlessness, our addiction to distraction, and our longing for something no screen or success can fill. In this episode: Why Pascal is called "the first modern Christian"Pascal's Night of Fire — the hidden document sewn into his coatFaith vs. reason: what Pascal really believedWhy Descartes' God was "uncertain and useless" to PascalThe hidden God of Jesus Christ vs. the God of the philosophersPascal's diagnosis of distraction — and why it hits harder in 2025The infinite abyss and what can actually fill itKeywords: Blaise Pascal, Christian apologetics, faith and reason, Pascal's Wager, Pascal's Night of Fire, Pensées, Graham Tomlin, Christian philosophy, theology podcast, distraction and the soul, hiddenness of God, Jansenism, modern Christianity, apologetics podcast, Christian faith podcast 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of faith, culture, and ideas. 📖 Get Graham's book: Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World 🌐 Explore Graham's work: seeeandunseen.com

    45 min

  6. May 11

    John Calvin, Refugee Theologian — with Dr. Kenneth Woo

    What did it mean for John Calvin to be a refugee — and how did that shape everything he believed? In this episode of the Faith Informing Podcast, host Travis Jamieson sits down with Dr. Kenneth Woo, Associate Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and author of "John Calvin, Refugee Theologian: Introducing a Reformer in Exile." Dr. Woo unpacks how Calvin's experience as a political exile from France shaped his theology, his preaching, his pastoral care, and his reading of scripture. 🔑 TOPICS COVERED: • Why Calvin is best understood as a refugee theologian • The millions displaced during the Reformation era — and before it • How Calvin built a mixed church in Geneva among refugees and native citizens • Calvin's deeply personal identification with David as an exilic figure • How predestination functioned as a doctrine of comfort for displaced people • What Calvin's theology of spiritual exile says to Christians feeling politically homeless today • Reimagining Reformed theology as a theology from the margins 📖 BOOK MENTIONED: "John Calvin, Refugee Theologian: Introducing a Reformer in Exile" by Dr. Kenneth Woo 👤 GUEST: Dr. Kenneth Woo — P.C. Ross Associate Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary 🎙️ HOST: Travis Jamieson — Faith (In)forming Podcast --- #JohnCalvin #ReformedTheology #ChurchHistory #Reformation #Refugees #Theology #CalvinismExplained #FaithInformingPodcast #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalExile

    46 min
  7. Icons, Imagination & Spiritual Formation | Dr. Lanta Davis

    May 4

    Icons, Imagination & Spiritual Formation | Dr. Lanta Davis

    What if the key to spiritual growth isn't more information — but a transformed imagination? In this episode, Travis sits down with Dr. Lanta Davis, professor at the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University and author of Becoming by Beholding: The Power of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation, to explore a neglected dimension of Christian discipleship. They discuss how our imaginations are constantly being shaped — by advertising, social media, entertainment, and culture — and what the church has historically done to intentionally form believers through images, stories, and sacred spaces. They also do a deep dive into Christian iconography, unpacking two iconic works: the ancient Christ Pantocrator icon from St. Catherine's Monastery and Rublev's Trinity icon — and what they reveal about the Incarnation, the dual nature of Christ, and our invitation into the life of God. Topics covered: What is the sacramental imagination and why does it matter?How consumerism, Christian nationalism, and entertainment culture malform our faithWhat ancient Christians knew about training the soul through imagesA close look at the Christ Pantocrator — the eye of mercy vs. the eye of judgmentThe Trinity icon and the open seat at the table🎙️ Guest: Dr. Lanta Davis | Author of Becoming by Beholding 📚 Learn more: [link to book] 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, theology, and discipleship #SpiritualFormation #ChristianPodcast #Theology #Discipleship #SacramentalImagination #ChristianIcons #FaithPodcast #ChurchHistory

    49 min

  8. Apr 23

    What Christians Get Wrong About the Devil | Philip Ziegler

    What do Christians today misunderstand about the devil—and why does it matter for how we understand the gospel? In this episode of The Faith (In)Forming Podcast, I sit down with theologian Philip Ziegler to explore a topic many churches avoid: the doctrine of the devil. Drawing from his book God’s Adversary and Ours, Ziegler offers a deeply biblical and theological framework for understanding Satan—not through speculation, but through the life and work of Jesus Christ. Together, we discuss: Why modern Christians often ignore or misuse the idea of the devilHow the Bible actually portrays Satan (hint: it’s about what he does, not what he is)Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and what it reveals about evilThe meaning of exorcisms in the GospelsWhy the cross can be understood as Christ’s ultimate victory over the powers of evilHow ordinary Christian practices (prayer, worship, Scripture) are forms of spiritual resistanceThis conversation will expand your understanding of the gospel—not just as personal salvation, but as a cosmic story of Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil. If you’ve ever wondered: Is the devil real?What does the Bible actually teach about Satan?How should Christians think about spiritual warfare today?This episode is for you. 📚 Related ResourceIf this conversation resonates, you may also enjoy my book, The Mystery of Faith, where I explore how the gospel is far bigger, deeper, and more transformative than we often imagine. 🔔 Subscribe for More ConversationsThe Faith (In)Forming Podcast is a space for deep, thoughtful conversations on theology, culture, and the Christian life. 👉 Subscribe for more interviews with leading thinkers, pastors, and authors. ⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction: Why Talk About the Devil? 01:00 – What Led Philip Ziegler to Study This Topic 06:45 – Why the Church Stopped Talking About the Devil 14:50 – Avoidance vs. Weaponization 16:50 – Understanding the Devil Through Jesus 24:30 – The Temptation of Christ Explained 28:30 – Exorcism and the Meaning of “Life” 33:30 – Shalom, Chaos, and the Story of Scripture 35:20 – The Cross as the Ultimate Exorcism 40:00 – Expanding Our Vision of the Gospel 41:10 – What This Means for the Christian Life Today 49:00 – Ordinary Faith as Spiritual Resistance 🔍 Keywords (for search visibility)theology of the devil, is the devil real, satan in the bible, spiritual warfare explained, christian theology podcast, philip ziegler, doctrine of satan, jesus temptation in the wilderness, exorcism in the bible, meaning of the cross, gospel explained, reformed theology, christian podcast 2026

    52 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

A podcast about what informs our faith and how our faith forms us. Travis Jamieson is a pastor, author, and podcaster serving in Silicon Valley.

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