Shifting Culture

Ep. 404 Jared Stacy - Reality in Ruins: Conspiracy, the Church, and the Way of Christ

In this episode, I talk with theologian Jared Stacy about why conspiracy theories have taken such deep root in our cultural moment and why they often find unique traction within American Christianity. We explore how an overload of information, fear, and ideological certainty can distort the stories we tell about the world and about God. Jared reflects on the Columbine martyrdom myth, the difference between ideology and the living story of Christ, and why presence, community, and faithful storytelling may be the church’s most important response in an age where reality itself often feels contested.Jared Stacy is a theologian and ethicist and former pastor to evangelical churches in New Orleans and the Washington, DC, metro area. He received a PhD in moral & practical theology from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. His research focuses on the intersection of theology and politics. Specifically on ethics, extremism/conspiracy theory and US evangelicalism. Jared’s work and his story have been featured on platforms like Time, NPR, NBC News, the BBC, and Christianity Today.Jared's Book:Reality in RuinsJared's Recommendation:Joining Creation's PraiseConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.comGo 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 below Support the show

Ep. 403 Shannan Martin - Counterweights: Holding Hope in a Heavy World

In this episode, I’m joined by Shannon Martin to talk about her new book Counterweights and how we keep moving forward when life feels overwhelmingly heavy. We explore grief, collective trauma, and why quick fixes and toxic positivity fall short, alongside the small, ordinary practices that help us stay grounded and human. This conversation moves through faith, paradox, community, and the kingdom of God, not as something we wait for, but something we practice together here and now. If you’re carrying more than you know what to do with and looking for a way to remain present, honest, and hopeful, this conversation is for you.Shannan Martin is the bestselling author of several books, including Start with Hello, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, and the popular Substack The Soup. Shannan is a wannabe gardener, a news geek, a fighter for justice, and a thrift store stalker. She and her family live as grateful neighbors in Goshen, Indiana, where Shannan is on staff at the local community kitchen. Find her on Instagram @shannanwrites.Shannan's Book:CounterweightsShannan's Recommendations:ShrinkingWhere Do We Go From HereCherished BelongingLove Walked InAll About LoveConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.comGo 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 below Support the show

Ep. 402 Justin Ariel Bailey Returns - Discipling the Diseased Imagination

Justin Ariel Bailey joins me to talk about his book Discipling the Diseased Imagination and why imagination plays a crucial role in spiritual formation. We explore how the stories, habits, and media that capture our attention quietly shape our discipleship, and why following Jesus requires learning to behold what is good, beautiful, and true. We also discuss hope, idolatry, attachment, and how the imagination can be healed as we live more deeply in the story of God. Justin Ariel Bailey (PhD, Fuller Seminary) is dean of chapel and professor of theology at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa. He is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church and has served as a pastor in diverse settings. Bailey is the author of Reimagining Apologetics and Interpreting Your World, and he is a sought-after speaker. His new book is Discipling the Diseased Imagination.Justin's Book:Discipling the Diseased ImaginationJustin's Recommendations:PiranesiThat Hideous StrengthBroken BondsEverything is Never EnoughThe Theological ImaginationConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.comGo 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 below Support the show

Ep. 401 Kendall Mariah - The Anchoring Tether in the Midst of Soul Friction

What do you do when your faith no longer fits the formulas you were given? In this episode, I sit down with Kendall to talk about what she calls “soul friction” — the holy discomfort that surfaces through disillusionment, infertility, adoption, racial awakening, purity culture, and watching the church miss the way of Jesus. We explore anger, courage, embodiment, and what it really means to pray “on earth as it is in heaven.” This is a conversation about tending the fire instead of letting it burn everything down and choosing courageous faith over easy certainty.Kendall Mariah is a lifestyle content creator, photographer, and brand strategist whose honest storytelling has cultivated a deeply connected online community. As a business owner, military spouse, and adoptive mom, she speaks authentically about the intersections of faith, identity, and everyday life. Her debut book, THIS LITTLE FIRE OF MINE, releases in February 2026.Kendall's Book:This Little Fire of MineConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.comGo 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 below Support the show

Ep. 400 Sarah Bessey Returns - Braving the Truth with Rachel Held Evans

In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Bessey to talk about editing Braving the Truth, a curated collection of blog posts and essays from Rachel Held Evans that feel as timely now as when they were first written. We explore Rachel’s legacy, her refusal to give in to dualistic thinking, and her commitment to telling the truth without surrendering love. This conversation is about long-term faithfulness in a time of backlash, how to plant hope in our own patch of earth, and what it looks like for us to carry the baton forward, so that we can brave the truth.Sarah Bessey is a Canadian writer whose work creates spaces of welcome where questions are honoured, stories matter, and resilient hope is practiced, one small faithful act at a time. She is the bestselling author of five books including Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith and the New York Times bestseller A Rhythm of Prayer. Sarah also writes the bestselling weekly Substack newsletter Field Notes. Living in Calgary with her family, she writes from the ordinary rhythms of life with warmth and theological generosity.Sarah's Book:Braving the TruthSarah's Recommendations:Wild Dark ShoreOne Day Everyone Will Have Been Against ThisChrist in the RubbleConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.comGo 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 below Support the show