Saved by the City

Cozy up for this time traveling book club.On each episode of this show, we talk about a popular, influential — or at least lucrative — Christian book from the 90s or 2000s (you know, our era). We discuss how the book shaped American Christianity, our own personal faith journeys, and how it has aged in our current dystopian Christian Nationalist hellscape.This episode, Tyler and Roxy move into the liminal faith space of Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller’s 2003 word-of-mouth bestseller that introduced young Gen Xers and elder Millennial evangelicals to the idea of embracing doubt, being OK with not knowing everything, drinking beer and also Mark Driscoll.  

Decadent December is coming to a close and bills are due.Every year, we all get a little excited for what a new start could bring — who could I be this year? Surely this year, I'll do the thing. Or stop doing the thing. Or change everything. Right?When it comes to making goals, setting intentions, naming desires, we're as all-in as anybody ... but we also have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to the marketing machine that self-help has become. Somehow, we doubt all the wisdom we need is just a scroll away on Instagram. This week, Katelyn and Roxy share the advice that's actually worked and talk with entrepreneur Liz Forkin Bohannon, who swears by "dreaming small" and "owning your average." GUEST Liz Forkin Bohannon is the founder and CEO of Sseko Designs, a socially conscious fashion brand, the chief growth officer of Noonday Collection, and the author of "Beginner's Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now." Check out her "Plucking Up" podcast, as well.

Be good to your people.The holidays are hard for the grieving. This year, as Roxy and her family walk through their first Christmas without her dad, we wanted to do an episode on what has helped get them through. Well, who has helped really. This is an episode on the power of community and friendship when life hands you loss. Katelyn and Roxy are also joined by J.S. Park, a hospital chaplain who has counseled thousands of patients and their families through terminal illnesses, devastating diagnosis, and tragic losses. Plus, a special drop-in from friend of the podcast, Jonathan Merritt.GUEST: J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain and author of of The Voices We Carry. He is working on a econd book, due out in May 2024.

It's the new evangelical Vatican y'all.Before there was New York City, both Katelyn and Roxy flirted with Nashville. The draw was real: deep friendship, like-minded value systems, shared faith, the prospect of financial stability. But something never quite clicked. Nashville felt maybe a little ... too comfortable, too safe, even a bit stifling. In this episode, Katelyn and Roxy imagine what could have been. We also do a deep dive into who Nashville has become in our years apart — and how choosing New York City has changed us.

The range of a religion reporter.This week, we ask ourselves: would we do mushrooms for research? Plus, a journey from Kansas to Tennessee to California and their multiple misbehaving men in ministry. Katelyn and Roxy discuss the similarities and patterns present in congregations where clergy can get away with almost anything.And we're joined by guest Gloria Purvis, a Black Catholic scholar who lost her job at a prominent Catholic radio network in 2020 after speaking out about the killings of unarmed Black Americans. Among other things, she discusses why racial justice should be an extension of the church’s holistic pro-life ethic.GUEST: Gloria Purvis is a Catholic commentator and host of the Gloria Purvis Podcast with America magazine and media.

For this Thanksgiving, we return to a favorite episode about food, hosting and the power of conversations around a dinner table.

It's a mancession.Or, as one woman put it to our guest today, "men are in their flop era." Men are lagging behind women in almost every measure of success today — from mental health, to education levels, to employment, to sexual satisfaction. What's going on? Katelyn and Roxy are joined (once again!) by columnist and author Christine Emba to discuss this masculinity crisis — and why it should matter to women. Plus: a dudely data dump.GUEST: Christine Emba is a columnist and member of the editorial board at The Washington Post, where she wrote her viral summer column and topic today's episode: "Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness." She is also the author of the book "Rethinking Sex: A Provocation."

When the clock keeps ticking, you gotta get picking ... a sperm donor, that is.Ok, but really, as more and more women are single into their late thirties and early forties, the option to have a child through in vitro fertilization becomes a very live question. As much as forty may be the new twenty, the biological timeline for many women still looms large. If you're someone who wants to bear children, waiting for the right partner may feel like a dead end. Or, as our guest today puts it, that's a lot of pressure for a first date. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy talk to a friend who made the decision to put dating on hold and become a mother on her own. We discuss process, finances, a bit of theology and a lot of love.GUEST: Annie Parsons gave birth to her baby boy in early October, just a few days after recording this episode. Everyone is healthy and happy and we are overjoyed for this fledgling family.

But it is better if you get spiritual in the mornings.For a very long time, spending time with God felt a bit like a chore to be checked off. Remember quiet times? One year Bible reading plans? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy discussing finding rhythms and rituals that actually work for connecting with God — no guilt attached. And, bonus, actually became morning people along the way. We can't believe it either! Plus, Karen Wright Marsh helps us find inspiration for our daily devotions from the lives of the saints.GUEST: Karen Wright Marsh is the founding director of Theological Horizons, a ministry at the University of Virginia that hosts lectures, spiritual studies, dialogues, and mentoring initiatives. She is the author of Wake up to Wonder.

"Seek peace and pursue it — especially when it seems impossible."Inspired by these words of his father, our guest today has been working to bring peace in the Holy Land since the early 2000s. The last few weeks have been an onslaught of horrifying news from Israel and Gaza — thousands upon thousands dead, hundreds held hostage, hundreds of thousands displaced. And, here, in America a rush to make sense of it — to clearly name the good guy and the bad guy, to further entrench lines in the sand that are already so deep. Amid the complexities of what many have called an "intractable problem," Katelyn and Roxy look to Greg Khalil, co-founder of Telos Group, an organization that insists you can be pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, pro-American and pro-peace.GUEST:Greg Khalil is president and co-founder of Telos Group and an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Before founding the Telos Group, Greg lived in Ramallah, the West Bank, where he advised the Palestinian leadership on peace negotiations with Israel. Visit telosgroup.org for a list of resources on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.