Faith, Love, and Courage After Collapse: A Conversation with Brian McLaren, Author of “Life After Doom”

On The Way Forward: Regenerative Conversations, John and Alain sit down with Brian McLaren to explore what it means to live—and lead—after doom. Drawing from Life After Doom, Brian reframes “doom” as the moment we realize our problems outsize our current solutions, then walks us from anger to grief to love as a generative path forward. Along the way, we unpack overshoot and the polycrisis beneath climate change, a practical four‑scenario map of possible futures, and everyday practices that keep us grounded—finding companions to talk with, time in nature, and deep honesty in prayerful reflection. The result is a clear‑eyed conversation that neither sugarcoats nor catastrophizes—and calls us to show up with courage, compassion, and love.

Show notes summary

What we cover

• What “doom” really names: not inevitable extinction, but the psychological shock when our problems feel bigger than our solutions—and how naming it opens a path beyond paralysis.
• Under the climate “cherry”: overshoot (taking too much, dumping too much) and the polycrisis that makes single‑issue fixes insufficient.
• Four scenarios for what’s next: collapse avoidance, collapse rebirth, collapse survival, collapse extinction—plus why clinging to certainty (optimism or despair) discourages action.
• From anger → grief → love: how grief can sweeten into love for places and people—and even temper how we regard those doing harm.
• Practices that help right now: find a small circle to talk with; seek daily time outdoors (“the birds are being awesome”); and cultivate honest, contemplative prayer—“holding our thoughts to the light.”
• Faith, power, and coalition: engaging Christian communities without dehumanization; critiquing money‑power capture; and reaching beyond left/right toward a deeper, earth‑honoring vision.

Key takeaways

• Name the feeling; don’t freeze there. Recognizing doom as an inner experience creates room for courage and community.
• Think systemically. If we “solve carbon” but ignore overshoot and the polycrisis, our children still inherit cascading risk.
• Work the middle path. Refusing both naïve optimism and total doom keeps us in the arena of action.
• Grief reveals love. Lament can deepen solidarity with people and places—and clarify what we will protect.
• Lead with love, not dehumanization. Our language matters; contempt escalates violence, while love enlarges coalitions.

Our heartfelt thanks to Elders Action Network (EAN) and Elders Climate Action (ECA) for the work they do and for their support of this conversation and community.

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Web: https://wayforwardpodcast.com
Email (comments & ideas): thewayforwardrc@gmail.com