How Can We Learn from Strangers?

Can Our Enemies Teach Us Anything?

A.J. Swoboda joins the Good Faith podcast to unpack how cultivating a teachable spirit and practicing true discipleship means learning from enemies, strangers, and neighbors in a divided world. He emphasizes how to recognize real experts amid alternate facts and subjective “truths,” and tells how the countercultural practice of learning from anyone—regardless of agreement—fosters humility, empathy, and connection, insights drawn from his book A Teachable Spirit.

(03:11) - Cultivating a Teachable Spirit

(09:38) - Reverse Prophecy and Calling Out Your Tribe

(17:55) - Experts & Expertise

(22:09) - Sola Scriptura vs. “Solo” Scriptura

(23:27) - Jesus Would Be the Best At Anything

(32:04) - Replacing Our Neighbors With Technology

(45:03) - Learning From Enemies

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• A.J. Swoboda’s A Teachable Spirit
• How John Calvin understood the Ten Commandments
• Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (pdf)
• More about Fuller Seminary’s John Goldengay
• Roger Kneebone: The Path To Expertise and Why Experts Matter
• Understanding Erving Goffman’s concept of Civil Inattention
• Dallas Willard’s sermon: The Genius of Jesus, part 1 (video)
• Dallas Willard’s Jesus the Logician (article)
• How Should Pastors Respond to Charlie Kirk’s Assassination? (article)

Scriptures Referenced:

• The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5-7 (ESV)
• Mark 12:30-31 (ESV)
• Deuteronomy 10 (ESV)
• Hebrews 13:2 (ESV)

More From A.J. Swoboda:

• A.J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta’s The Slow Theology Podcast  
• A.J. Swoboda’s Low Level Theology Substack
• A.J. Swoboda’s The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith 

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.