Curiously with Ericka Graham

In this episode, Ericka Graham sits down with the professor that first introduced her to Biblical Studies at Rice University, Dr. Mattias Henze. The two discuss the power of asking questions, and what it means to hold onto a Christian faith while using other texts and religions to improve literacy.  About Dr. Henze:Matthias Henze was born and raised in Hanover, Germany. In 1992 he earned a Master of Divinity from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and moved to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in Harvard’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. After completing his doctorate in 1997, Dr. Henze joined Rice’s department of religion, where he is now the Isla Carroll and Percy E. Turner Professor of Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism.His areas of interest include the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, Jewish literature and thought at the time of the Second Temple, apocalyptic literature, and the Qumran fragments. In particular, Dr. Henze focuses on those early texts that never became part of the Jewish Bible - often subsumed under the labels ‘Apocrypha’ and ‘Pseudepigrapha’ – and what we can learn when these texts are read side by side with the canonical writings.Dr. Henze has written and edited ten books. While at Rice he has won five teaching/mentoring Awards. He was also named a founding fellow of Rice’s Center for Teaching Excellence. In 2009 he founded Rice’s Program in Jewish Studies, of which he continues to serve as director. Book Links:Israel's Scriptures in Early Christian Writings: The Use of the Old Testament in the New Mind the Gap: How the Jewish Writings between the Old and New Testament Help Us Understand Jesus  

In this episode, Ericka Graham sits down with her friend Joshua Carney to talk about his time as a Pastor leading a church community, and his recent month-long manic episode that took his friends and family by surprise. This is a casual and conversational episode, as two friends exchange their honest lived experiences. More about Joshua Carney:Joshua served as the Pastor for the University Baptist Church in Waco for 15 years, and now he currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the Waco Family Medicine Foundation, a FQHC, that aims to bring high quality primary health care to Texas’s most vulnerable populations.  

In this episode, Ericka Graham sits down with Dr. Elizabeth McIngvale to discuss her own OCD diagnosis, and exchange stories about what it means to surrender and live a life of faith and recovery.  Dr. Elizabeth McIngvale, Ph.D. is the director of the OCD Institute of Texas and adjunct faculty at Baylor College of Medicine. Elizabeth founded the Peace of Mind foundation and OCDChallenge.org (a self-help website for OCD), both now within the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). Elizabeth was the first-ever national spokesperson for the IOCDF where she now serves as a board member and national advocate. She was diagnosed with OCD at 12 and engaged in inpatient and outpatient therapy. Dr. McIngvale engages in clinical work, research and advocacy with the goal of improving access to care and treatment for those living with OCD. show links:  instagram: @drlizocdhttps://ocditexas.com/staff/elizabeth-mcingvale/https://peaceofmind.com/what-we-do/about-elizabeth/https://iocdf.org

In this interview, Ericka sits down with Denise Hamilton to discuss her life as not just a founder and thought-leader, but also as a visionary who leads companies and individuals through change. Denise encourages listeners to own their gifts and “superpowers,” so that we might one day live in a world that is more connected to ourselves and each other. About Denise:Denise is an author, speaker and consultant who focuses on the people side of change. Whether it’s remote work, AI or a diversifying workforce, today's leaders need new skills to navigate our rapidly changing world—and Denise guides organizations and companies through these changes.Denise is an irrationally optimistic believer in our ability to solve problems rather than just name them. Her super power is the ability to discuss challenging topics and come out on the other side with positive direction and solutions. She equips leaders to build and retain future-ready teams that thrive in dynamic environments. Denise is a columnist for MIT Sloan Management Review. Her thought leadership has also been featured on NPR, Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Newsweek and many others. Link to Pre-order book: https://www.amazon.com/Indivisible-Forge-Differences-Stronger-Future/dp/1682688380WatchHerWork: https://watchherwork.cominstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/officialdham/?hl=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamiltondenise/  

In this episode of Curiously, Ericka Graham and her friend Claudia Gee Vassar interview the award-winning author, theologian, and scientist, Dr.Ilia Delio. The three discuss questions about our future here on planet earth, and what it means to be human, have faith, and participate in this sacred unfolding that we call . . . life.  About Ilia:Ilia Delio, Order of Saint Francis, currently holds the Josephine C. Connelly Endowed Chair in Theology at Villanova University and has authored or co-authored twenty-three books including The Hours of the Universe: Reflections on God, Science and the Human Journey, which won a 2022 Gold Nautilus Book award. Other books include A Hunger for Wholeness: Soul, Space and Transcendence (Paulist 2018), Making All Things New (Orbis, 2015) and The Unbearable Wholeness of Being:  God, Evolution and the Power of Love (Orbis 2013) which received the 2014 Silver Nautilus Book Award. She lectures nationally and internationally and is the founder and director of the Center for Christogenesis, an online educational forum devoted to the integration of science, religion and culture. Book Links:The Hours of the Universe: Reflections on God, Science and the Human JourneyA Hunger for Wholeness: Soul, Space and Transcendence (Paulist 2018)Making All Things New (Orbis, 2015)The Unbearable Wholeness of Being: God, Evolution and the Power of Love (Orbis 2013)

In this interview, Lizzie Velasquez defines beauty, shares what brings her joy, and discusses how she has grown the past decade. More about Lizzie: Lizzie Velasquez is an accomplished motivational speaker, author, and anti-bullying activist.Lizzie has delivered powerful talks including a TEDxAustin Women talk, and she speaks at various events, advocating for self-love, embracing differences, and combating online cruelty. Lizzie has also authored three books: “Lizzie Beautiful” (2010), “Be Beautiful, Be You” (2012), and “Dare to Be Kind” (2017). Her impact has extended to the world of documentaries with the release of “A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story” in 2015, and in 2017, Lizzie expanded her influence with the launch of her own digital series, “Unzipped.” books :Lizzie Beautiful Be Beautiful, Be You Dare to Be Kind documentary: A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story instagram :  @littlelizziev   

Dr. Hillary McBride, a psychologist, talks about eating disorders, mother-daughter relationships, and listening to the wisdom of our bodies. They discuss the balance between recovery and personal goals in therapy and the impact of the mother-daughter relationship. They also explore the power of anger in women and the importance of being present in the body.

Join Ericka and her guests each week, as they let “curiosity” lead discussions on faith, religion, science, mental health, and so much more! New episodes drop every Wednesday starting August 16th!