There aren’t many Billboard-charting bluegrass bands made up entirely of Catholic Dominican Friars, who play their shows clad in white tunics and rosaries. In fact, there is precisely one such band: the Hillbilly Thomists. “A Thomist is someone who follows the thought and theological teaching of Saint Thomas Aquinas,” they explain. “We combine it with a little bit of humor about our human condition.” In this episode, they talk about their theology and vocation, as well as how they manage life on the road as priests who have taken a vow of poverty. Plus, they give live performances of some of their finest songs. Show Notes Resources mentioned this episode: The Hillbilly Thomists’ Website Similar NSE episodes: N.T. Wright and the Bancroft Brothers: Theology and Poetry Edith Hall: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life Drew Holcomb: Fighting Dragons and Singing at Loss PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcription Link Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Audrey Assad, an acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her deep exploration of faith, doubt, and healing, takes listeners on a transformative journey. She candidly discusses her memoir, "Doubt Becomes Wonder," and how questioning her childhood beliefs has shaped her healing. Topics include the therapeutic power of collective singing, the complexities of gender dynamics in faith, and a compassionate re-framing of sin. Audrey’s personal narrative highlights the importance of vulnerability and courage in seeking deeper connections and understanding.

Drew Holcomb, a celebrated Americana musician, and Audrey Assad, an acclaimed singer-songwriter from the Christian music sphere, delve into the beauty of vulnerability in their art. Drew reflects on his journey through loss and the pressures of fame, sharing how grief shapes creativity. Audrey opens up about her quest for authenticity, addressing personal traumas that influenced her music. Together, they explore the healing power of communal singing and the transformation of doubt into wonder, creating a rich dialogue on art's emotional essence.

This is our unabridged interview with Peter Levine. “In order to really move through trauma,” says Peter Levine, “we have to do that in the body.” As a psychologist with much of his own trauma to work through, Peter has spent his career researching ways to help himself and others come to healing and wholeness. In this episode, he discusses his memoir “An Autobiography of Trauma,” in which he uses his own life story to illustrate his findings. From a standing meeting with an imagined Albert Einstein, to a host of life-changing dreams, listen as he shares how both his professional research and mystical personal experience have taught him much about the ways our bodies hold trauma, and how we can learn to pay attention to our lives and find healing. Show Notes Resources mentioned this episode: "An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey" by Peter Levine "Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma" by Peter Levine Similar NSE episodes: Amishi Jha: Push-ups for Your Brain Kristin Neff: The Power of Self-Compassion Tara Brach: Radical Acceptance Curt Thompson: The Soul of Shame  PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcript of Abridged Episode  Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

“In order to really move through trauma,” says Peter Levine, “we have to do that in the body.” As a psychologist with much of his own trauma to work through, Peter has spent his career researching ways to help himself and others come to healing and wholeness. In this episode, he discusses his memoir “An Autobiography of Trauma,” in which he uses his own life story to illustrate his findings. From a standing meeting with an imagined Albert Einstein, to a host of life-changing dreams, listen as he shares how both his professional research and mystical personal experience have taught him much about the ways our bodies hold trauma, and how we can learn to pay attention to our lives and find healing. Show Notes Resources mentioned this episode: "An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey" by Peter Levine "Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma" by Peter Levine Similar NSE episodes: Amishi Jha: Push-ups for Your Brain Kristin Neff: The Power of Self-Compassion Tara Brach: Radical Acceptance Curt Thompson: The Soul of Shame  PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcription Link  Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

In a thought-provoking conversation, Malcolm Gladwell, a renowned journalist and author, alongside former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, shares insights on cultivating humility and curiosity. Gladwell emphasizes that humility is a habit requiring practice for genuine understanding. Smith adds depth with her powerful poetry, urging listeners to appreciate the complexities of humanity. The duo explores the significance of compassionate communication, especially during challenging discussions, reminding us of the beauty in our shared experiences and the importance of empathy.

To prepare for family dinners and political conversations this holiday season, two guests offer us new ways of being humble and curious. First, well-known thinker and author Malcolm Gladwell reveals why we must learn humility if we are to understand each other. “Humility is a habit,” he says. “Habit is a really important word, because if it's a habit, it means it's something that you have to practice.” Then, former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith offers powerful poems that invite us to acknowledge the full, complex, and beautiful worth of the human beings we encounter. In this episode, listen closely for multiple ways we can cultivate humility, be curious, and have compassion despite our disagreements and differences. Show Notes Resources mentioned this episode:"The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell "Wade in the Water: Poems" by Tracy K. Smith Similar NSE episodes: Malcolm Gladwell: Becoming Malcolm Tracy K. Smith and Marie Howe: Poetry as Politics Thanksgiving Special: Conversation and Gratitude  Transcription Link  Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

This is our unabridged interview with Kathryn Gin Lum. When is the last time you heard the word “heathen”? The word was originally used to delineate between European Christians who tended to be in urban centers and pagans in rural areas.  “Heathen exists in the mind of the person doing the labeling, right? It's a label that one people foists onto another.” Our guest today, Kathryn Gin Lum, walks us through the history of the term heathen and how it has utterly shaped the world. We discuss her book Heathen: Religion and Race in American History. The idea behind the term was wielded as a weapon to justify colonization and enslavement, and though the term has fallen out of use, she says the mental map of the world it has created has not. Show Notes Resources mentioned this episode: "Heathen: Religion and Race in American History" by Kathryn Gin Lum "The Origin of Others (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures)" by Toni Morrison Similar NSE episodes: Willie James Jennings: The Christian Imagination Eugene Cho Karen Korematsu: Fear, Home and the Asian-American Experience  PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcript of Abridged Interview  Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

When is the last time you heard the word “heathen”? The word was originally used to delineate between European Christians who tended to be in urban centers and pagans in rural areas.  “Heathen exists in the mind of the person doing the labeling, right? It's a label that one people foists onto another.” Our guest today, Kathryn Gin Lum, walks us through the history of the term heathen and how it has utterly shaped the world. We discuss her book Heathen: Religion and Race in American History. The idea behind the term was wielded as a weapon to justify colonization and enslavement, and though the term has fallen out of use, she says the mental map of the world it has created has not. Show Notes Resources mentioned this episode: "Heathen: Religion and Race in American History" by Kathryn Gin Lum "The Origin of Others (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures)" by Toni Morrison Similar NSE episodes: Willie James Jennings: The Christian Imagination Eugene Cho and Karen Korematsu: Fear, Home and the Asian-American Experience  PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcription Link  Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

This is our unabridged interview with Tim Shriver. On social media and the news, the narrative told about humanity is often one of violence, division, and dehumanization. But is that really who we are? Tim Shriver, best-selling author and chairman of the Special Olympics, doesn’t think so. “My view,” he says, “is that the versions of our lives that most of us lead most days are much more hopeful.” As the nephew of John F. Kennedy, Tim has known great privilege and great grief. As an educator and social worker, he has seen the countless ways that humans defy stereotypes and give grace and hope to one another. In this episode, he talks about why his life and career have led him to the conclusion that the key to a happy life is to live it for the flourishing of others. Show Notes Resources mentioned this episode: "Fully Alive: Discovering What Matters Most" by Tim Shriver Tim's Website "Need a Lift?" Podcast Similar NSE episodes: Greg Boyle: Cherished Belonging Martin Sheen: Actor and Activist Ben Cohen: Peace, Justice, Ice Cream  PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcript of Abridged Episode  Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.