

Shifting Culture
Joshua Johnson
Shifting Culture invites you into transformative conversations at the intersection of faith, culture, justice, and the way of Jesus. Each episode, host Joshua Johnson engages guests who challenge conventional thinking and inspire fresh perspectives for embodying faith in today's complex world. If you're curious about how cultural shifts impact your faith journey and passionate about living purposefully, join us as we explore deeper ways to follow Jesus in everyday life.Subscribe now and shift your perspective.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 28, 2025 • 57min
Ep. 264 Ian Morgan Cron - How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation
This is a fantastic conversation with Ian Morgan Cron about his new book "The Fix" and the transformative power of the 12 steps. Ian makes the case that the 12 steps offer a path of healing and recovery not just for addicts, but for anyone struggling with that universal human condition of feeling "not at home" in this world. The key, as Ian explains it, is starting with that crucial admission of powerlessness - that we can't fix ourselves through willpower alone. And that opens the door to surrendering to a higher power and allowing God to do for us what we can't do for ourselves. Ian gets incredibly personal, sharing his own journey of addiction and recovery, and how practices like centering prayer have helped him develop the capacity to truly bear and receive love. Ian argues the 12 steps can address the root spiritual issues underlying all kinds of compulsive behaviors and addictions, not just drugs and alcohol. He makes a compelling case that this path of transformation is available to everyone, whether you identify as an addict or not. The 12 steps offer a "program for living" that can lead to deep healing and freedom. This was a rich, nuanced, and grace-filled conversation that I think will really resonate with a lot of people struggling with that sense of not being at home in themselves or the world. Ian brings such vulnerability and wisdom to these timeless questions of how we find our way back to wholeness. It's the kind of conversation that stays with you. So join us as we find our way back home. Ian Morgan Cron is a bestselling author, psychotherapist, Enneagram teacher, Episcopal priest, and the host of the popular podcast Typology (over 20 million downloads). His books include the Enneagram primer The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery, which has sold over one million copies; the novel Chasing Francis; the spiritual memoir Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me; and The Story of You: An Enneagram Journey to Becoming Your True Self.Ian's Book:The FixIan's Recommendations:Build the Life You WantFrom Strength to StrengthSay NothingSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowSubscribe today at shiftingculture.substack.com for early, ad-free episodes and more! The "What's Going On?" PodcastThink casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Jan 24, 2025 • 59min
Ep. 263 Tori Hope Petersen Returns - Breaking the Patterns That Break You
Tori Hope Petersen has a story to tell - one that gets to the heart of how we find our way through trauma and self-doubt to a place of self-acceptance and purpose. As someone who grew up in the foster care system, emancipating at 18 without a forever family, Tori had to navigate a lot of uncertainty and pain. But through that journey, she's learned invaluable lessons about the power of community, the necessity of vulnerability, and the freedom that comes from embracing your own worth. In our conversation, Tori unpacks the lies she used to believe - that self-love was selfish, that she wasn't worthy. These were patterns passed down, not just in her own life, but across generations. And unraveling them required immense courage. But Tori discovered that the act of sharing her story, the good and the bad, was integral to her own healing. It was a way of breaking cycles, of finding belonging, of using her voice to speak life into others facing similar struggles. Tori's story is a testament to resilience, to the transformative power of vulnerability. This is a conversation that gets at the heart of how we overcome the lies we've internalized, how we learn to love ourselves, and how we step into the fullness of who we're called to be.Tori Hope Petersen is an author, speaker, Bible teacher, and lover of people. Since coming to faith, she has shared her testimony and life as authentically as she can to help and offer hope to others. Tori is known for her fierce advocacy work for foster care, adoption, and vulnerable children. At home she is a wife and mama who enjoys cooking with her children. With a deep value for family, community, and hospitality, Tori and her family love to make extra food for whoever might stop by.Tori's Book:Breaking the Patterns That Break YouTori's Recommendation:UncleanJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowSubscribe today at shiftingculture.substack.com for early, ad-free episodes and more! The "What's Going On?" PodcastThink casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Jan 21, 2025 • 49min
Ep. 262 Maria Bowler - Beyond Productivity: Reclaiming Our Creative Selves
Maria Bowler, author of "Making Time," engages listeners in a thought-provoking discussion about redefining creativity and self-worth beyond productivity. She shares her journey as a new mom during the pandemic, prompting a profound exploration of identity when external accomplishments fade. By highlighting the significance of meaningful engagement over hustling, Maria inspires a fresh perspective on creativity rooted in love and connection. She emphasizes embracing one's unique gifts and the importance of community support in navigating the emotional complexities of the creative journey.

Jan 17, 2025 • 59min
Ep. 261 Keith Simon - Joyful Outsiders Pt. 2: Engaging Culture While Being Rooted in Christ
What does it look like to engage culture as a Christian in today's world? Is it a battle to be won, a system to be escaped, or something else entirely? In this thought-provoking discussion, Keith Simon lays out a vision for what he calls "joyful outsiders" - Christians who embrace their identity as outsiders, but who engage the culture in diverse and creative ways. Keith draws from Scripture to show how the Bible presents a range of approaches - from the "advisor" who works from within, to the "protester" who calls out injustice, to the "builder" who cultivates new institutions. The key, he argues, is for Christians to resist the temptation to find our identity in political power or cultural influence, and instead root ourselves firmly in Christ. It's a perspective that acknowledges the real challenges and tensions of living as followers of Jesus in a disoriented world. But rather than despair or withdrawal, Simon casts a vision of Christians working together in unity, respecting each other's diverse callings and roles. Whether you see yourself as more of a "trainer" or an "ambassador," Simon's insights offer a compelling alternative to the tired culture war narratives that have done so much damage. He invites us to embrace our identity as outsiders, to engage creatively, and to do so with joy - because our hope is not in the shifting sands of politics or public opinion, but in the unshakable foundation of Christ's love and victory. It's a conversation that gets to the heart of some of the most pressing questions facing the church today. And it just might unlock new possibilities for how we can faithfully and fruitfully live out our faith in the world. Keith Simon is a lead pastor at The Crossing, cohosts the podcasts Ten Minute Bible Talks and Truth Over Tribe, and coauthored Truth Over Tribe: Pledging Allegiance to the Lamb, Not the Donkey or the Elephant. He graduated with an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Keith lives in Columbia, Missouri, with his wife, Christine, and their four children.Keith's Book:Joyful OutsidersKeith's Recommendations:Bad TherapyGhostedHow to Stay MarriedWhat is a Girl Worth?Join Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to theSubscribe today at shiftingculture.substack.com for early, ad-free episodes and more! The "What's Going On?" PodcastThink casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

12 snips
Jan 14, 2025 • 60min
Ep. 260 Patrick Miller - Joyful Outsiders Pt. 1: Living in the Tension of Resistance and Cultivation of Culture
Patrick Miller, a pastor and co-author of 'Joyful Outsiders,' discusses the shifting role of Christianity in America. He tackles the challenge of being an outsider in faith, emphasizing the balance between resistance and engagement with culture. Patrick introduces six roles—Trainer, Advisor, Protester, Ambassador, Artist, Builder—that Christians can adopt to navigate cultural tensions. His hopeful vision encourages collaboration and authenticity, showcasing how embracing diversity can help the church build a meaningful legacy for future generations.

Jan 10, 2025 • 44min
Ep. 259 Trevor Hudson - Discerning God's Will in Our Lives
This is a conversation about discernment - about how we listen for and respond to the quiet, persistent voice of God in our lives. Our guest today is Trevor Hudson, a pastor and spiritual director who has spent decades wrestling with this question. As Trevor puts it, when we open our lives to Christ, he brings his whole family with him. Our faith is never just a private, individual thing - it's deeply communal. But at the same time, God has a unique calling for each of our lives. The challenge is figuring out how to hold that tension, to discern both the general will of God and his specific purpose for us. Trevor shares that for him, the foundation of discernment has been surrender - a daily yielding of his life to God, an opening of his hands to receive God's leading. It's about learning to recognize the movements of the Spirit, the subtle stirrings towards greater faith, hope and love. And it's about doing that work in community, with friends and mentors who can help us see what we might be missing. This is not always an easy path. Trevor acknowledges that God's will often involves a kind of dying and rising, a willingness to walk into difficult circumstances. But he insists that there is a deep peace that accompanies it, even amidst the struggle. So how do we tune our ears to hear that still, small voice? How do we learn to live into the unique purpose God has for our lives, while also staying rooted in community? Trevor offers wisdom hard-won over decades of faithful following. It's a conversation that just might change the way you approach the big questions of your life.Trevor Hudson is an ordained minister in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. After spending forty years doing pastoral ministry in a local congregation, he now gives his time to lecturing, teaching, and writing in the areas of spiritual formation and spiritual direction. Throughout his life as a pastor and teacher, he has sought to prioritize the discipleship ministry of local congregations, build bridges across different "streams" within the Christian community, and relate spiritual formation to daily life within the context of our suffering world.He is married to Debbie and is the father of two children, Joni married to James, and Mark married to Marike.Trevor's Book:In Search of God's WillTrevor's Recommendation:Fully AliveJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcastSubscribe today at shiftingculture.substack.com for early, ad-free episodes and more! The "What's Going On?" PodcastThink casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Jan 7, 2025 • 53min
Ep. 258 Liz Charlotte Grant - Encountering the Divine in Genesis
This is a conversation about certainty, mystery, and the divine. Our guest today is Liz Charlotte Grant, author of the book "Knock at the Sky." Liz takes us on a journey through her own life, from growing up in the certainty of white American evangelicalism, to encountering the mystery and presence of God in powerful experiences. As Liz dives into the book of Genesis, she shows us how reading the scriptures through a literary lens can breathe new life into these ancient stories. We explore the idea of God as a generous host, setting the table for humanity, and the importance of encountering the divine, even when it challenges our preconceptions. Liz encourages us to approach these texts with curiosity and humility, allowing our questions to guide us rather than clinging to rigid certainty. She reminds us that God is not afraid of our questions - in fact, engaging with the mystery may be the path to a deeper, more vibrant faith. This is a conversation that invites us to expand our imaginations, to see God in new ways, and to welcome others as fellow image-bearers. So join us as we knock at the sky, seeking to encounter the divine in fresh and surprising ways.Liz Charlotte Grant is an award-winning essayist from the suburbs of Denver, Colorado, who writes the newsletter The Empathy List. Her first book releases this January, and it's called Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible.Liz's Book:Knock at the SkyJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@shiftingculturepodcastConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowSubscribe today at shiftingculture.substack.com for early, ad-free episodes and more! The "What's Going On?" PodcastThink casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Jan 3, 2025 • 58min
Ep. 257 Michael John Cusick - Sacred Attachment
Today, I'm excited to bring you a conversation that gets to the core of what it means to be human - to grapple with pain, trauma, and the longing to be truly seen and loved. My guest is Michael John Cusick, author of the new book "Sacred Attachment," and he's here to share his deeply personal journey of moving from a place of fear and shame into an embodied experience of God's love and security. Michael reframes the concept of sin, not as moral failure, but as the mishandling of our pain. This shift opens up a whole new avenue for understanding the human condition and the path to healing. He unpacks the five "W's" of brokenness - wretchedness, weakness, woundedness, warfare, and wiring - illuminating the complex, multi-layered nature of the struggles we all face. But this isn't just an intellectual exercise. Michael grounds his insights in his own life story. His life became a journey, as he wrestled with the fear that God was displeased with him, only to be met with an unexpected embrace of love and acceptance. Michael's exploration of Jesus' own secure attachment to the Father, and how that provides a model for us to follow, even in the midst of our own pain and trauma was particularly insightful. He emphasizes the importance of relational encounter, of being seen, soothed and held, in order to move from intellectual belief to embodied experience of God's love. This is a rich, nuanced conversation that challenges us to confront the deepest parts of ourselves, to acknowledge our brokenness, and to open ourselves up to the transformative power of love. There is profound wisdom here for anyone seeking to live a more whole, integrated life. Get ready to receive the love of God. Michael John Cusick is the CEO and founder of Restoring the Soul, an intensive counseling ministry in Denver. He is a licensed professional counselor, spiritual director, and former assistant professor of counseling at Colorado Christian University. Michael is the author of Surfing for God, and his articles have appeared in such places as Relevant, Huffington Post, and Red Letter Christians. He and his wife, Julianne, have two grown children and live in Littleton, Colorado.Michael's Book:Sacred AttachmentMichael's Recommendations:The Beatitudes CloisteredJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcastSubscribe today at shiftingculture.substack.com for early, ad-free episodes and more! The "What's Going On?" PodcastThink casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Dec 31, 2024 • 53min
Ep. 256 Best of 2024: Most Listened to Episodes of the Year
In this episode, we are counting down our ten most listened to episodes of the year. You will hear clips from:10. Ep. 160 Emily P. Freeman - Discerning When to Stay and When to Go9. Ep. 187 Elizabeth Oldfield - Becoming More Fully Alive8. Ep. 212 Brady Boyd - Pursuing Unity in a Divided World7. Ep. 243 Mike Cosper - The Church in Dark Times: Resisting the Lure of Ideology6. Ep. 218 Natalie Runion - Reconstruction After Deconstruction: Going Back to the Original Blueprint5. Ep. 148 Meghan Larissa Good - Are We in the Middle of a New Reformation?4. Ep. 235 Scot McKnight - Is the Deconstruction Movement a Prophetic Work of the Spirit?3. Ep. 159 Sarah Bessey - Practices for an Evolving Faith2. Ep. 224 Aundi Kolber - Embodied Resilience: Finding Safety and Moving Towards Risk1. Ep. 211 Jamie Winship Returns - Receiving Your True IdentityJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@shiftingculturepodcastConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowSubscribe today at shiftingculture.substack.com for early, ad-free episodes and more! The "What's Going On?" PodcastThink casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Dec 27, 2024 • 1h 39min
Ep. 255 Best of 2024: Favorite Movies with Elijah Davidson and Craig Detweiler
In this episode we are counting down our ten favorite movies of 2024 with guests Elijah Davidson and Craig Detweiler.Elijah's List:10. The Piano Lesson9. Between the Temples8. Conclave7. Dune: Part Two6. Fly5. Megalopolis4. Me3. Anora2. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga1. ChallengersCraig's List:10. Rebel Ridge9. A Real Pain8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga7. Conclave6. I Saw the TV Glow5. Daughters4. Dune: Part Two3. Sing Sing2. La Chimera1. AnoraJoshua's List:10. Small Things Like These9. The Wild Robot8. We Live in Time7. A Real Pain6. Wicked5. Civil War4. Conclave3. Dune: Part Two2. Sing Sing1. GhostlightJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@shiftingculturepodcastConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowSubscribe today at shiftingculture.substack.com for early, ad-free episodes and more! The "What's Going On?" PodcastThink casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show