The Mockingcast

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk favorite comedians, status games, personal progress, deconversion narratives, and the allure of re-enchantment. Also, somehow RJ keeps winning. He's insufferable that way. Click here to watch Norm Macdonald deliver the Moth Joke. Click here to read Will Storr's article on Status Games in The Guardian. Click here to read Ed West's review of Storr's book on UnHerd. Click here to read Hannah Anderson article in Christianity Today on how COVID Killed Our Sense of Personal Progress. Click here to read Shivani Radhakrishnan's article "Uncertain Terms" in The Point. Click here to order Megahan O'Gieblyn's new book God Human Animal Machine.

In their first episode after the summer hiatus, Dave, RJ and Sarah talk misbehaving consumers, trapped perfectionists, and controversial forgiveness before taking a detour to a little church in Mississippi. Also, Sarah dons a babooshka while Dave drums up some tips. Click here to read Amanda Mull's article on how American Shoppers Are a Nightmare Click here to read Josh Cohen's essay on The Perfectionism Trap Click here to read Nadia Bolz Weber's newsletter on what to do If You Can't Take In Anymore Click here to read the Vox interview with Elizabeth Bruenig about forgiveness Finally, click here to read Sarah's account of what happened with the stained-glass window

In their last episode before the summer hiatus, RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk brand loyalty, thought-terminating cliches, father's day championships, the religion/psychoanalysis intersection, and God's downstairs neighbor. Also, RJ changes his mind about Michael Jordan (sort of). *To support Mockingbird, please visit www.mbird.com/support. * To read Sophie Gilbert's review of Cultish, click here. To read Hanif Abdurraqib's column "On Sneakers", click here. To read Kelsey Osgood's essay on "Ernest Becker and Our Fear of Death", click here. To read Nightbirde's piece God Is On the Bathroom Floor, click here.

In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk spite, ubiquitous burnout, chaplaincy booms, and our conflicted relationship with newness. Also, Dave marvels at how refreshed the cicadas are looking. Click here to read Charlie Tyson's review in The Atlantic on Why Are We So Spiteful? Click here to watch Todd Brewer's talk on Anger ("If Jesus Had a Twitter Account") from our Tyler Conference. Click here to read Jill Lepore's essay on Burnout in The New Yorker Click here to read Katie Heaney's piece on The Clock-Out Cure in The Cut Click here to read Vice's article on Why Chaplains Are in High Demand in an Increasingly Secular America Click here to read Sam Bush's post on Facing the Strange Click here to read Dave's post on Becoming a Cliché Recommendations: Click here to order Spencer Reece's All the Beauty Still Left Click here to listen to Natalie Bergman's new album Mercy Click here to read the profile of Sinead O'Connor in the NY Times

Recorded live in front of an audience at the Mockingbird Tyler festival, Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk ambivalent mothers, Nordic expectations, getting "on top of things", and elite religiosity. Also, Sarah indulges in some, er, splendid show-and-tell. Click here to read How Adult Children Affect Their Mothers' Happiness Click here to read about The Grim Secret of Nordic Happiness in Slate. Click here to read Oliver Burkeman's newsletter on mastery. Click here to read Audrey Pollnow's newsletter on elite American religion. Click here to read Michael Gerson's sermon from The National Cathedral.

Surprise! It's a special edition episode of The Mockingcast, in which CJ Green introduces the unpredictable content of the Surprise issue of The Mockingbird magazine. You'll hear an incredible personal essay read by author and professional listener, Helena Dea Bala; an interview on unexpected grief with the Rev Liz Tichenor; and a discussion about jazz and John Coltrane with musician Sam Bush. Plus some stuff about Disneyland. Lots of twists and turns, needless to say. Click here to order the issue.

In which Dave, RJ and Sarah talk subtraction strategies, birth order effects, Bieber's redemption, and the spiritual dangers of courting controversy. But maybe that's just what a couple of oldest children (and one middle child) would discuss. Click here to read The Washington Post's report on our aversion to subtraction when it comes to problem solving. Click here to read Lynn Berger's article in Time on Birth Order. Click here to read Zach Baron's profile in GQ on The Redemption of Justin Bieber. Click here to read John Newton's letter on the dangers of courting controversy.

In which Sarah, RJ and Dave talk vaccinated no-no's, real estate obsessions, recalibrated ambitions, and Easter messages. We almost titled it House Hunters: The Mockingcast Edition. Click here to read The New Yorker's list of Things Fully Vaccinated People Are Still Not Allowed to Do. Click here to read Anne Helen Peterson's newsletter, "I'm Not Ready." Click here to read Nora Caplan-Bricker's essay "House Hunters" in The Point. Click here to read Lotte Jeffs' piece "A Life More Ordinary" in Elle. Click here to read Arthur Brooks' article on Humility and "How to Get Better at Admitting You're Wrong" in the Atlantic Click here to watch RJ's Easter sermon.

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk last chance basketball programs, true selves, teenage errors, and gracious dispositions. Also, Sarah gets kicked off AOL Instant Messenger. Click here to watch the trailer for Last Chance U: Basketball. Click here to read the New Yorker's profile of Sherry Turkle. Click here to read Vice's article on "Why Your ‘True Self’ Is An Illusion" by Shayla Love. Click here to read Graeme Wood's piece "America Has Forgotten How to Forgive" in The Atlantic. Click here to read DZ's reflection on Regret and here for his piece on The Doctine of Grace vs The Disposition of Grace. Click here to view the painting by James Tissot that RJ references, "What Our Lord Saw from The Cross".

In which Sarah, RJ and Dave talk baby busts, Instavangelists, and epiphanies of the heart. Also, RJ comes clean about his favorite Disney princess. Clue: It's not Anna or Elsa. Click here to read The Wall Street Journal's report on the intenational baby bust. Click here to read Leigh Stein's piece on The Empty Religions of Instagram. Click here to read Giles Fraser's column on changing attitudes toward memorials. Click here to read James K.A. Smith's essay on The Intelligence of Love. Click here to read Tim Keller's reflection on "Growing My Faith in the Face of Death."