In this week’s episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared talks with Roberto de la Noval and Jordan Wood about the church fathers, the development of doctrine, and how early Christians approached the Bible. They explore how figures like Augustine and Origen understood Scripture as something meant to transform people rather than simply provide literal answers, and why “problem passages” were often seen as invitations to think more deeply. Together, they invite listeners to see Christian tradition not as static or simplistic, but as a long, creative conversation about how to make sense of God, Scripture, and human experience.

In this week’s episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with theologian and ethicist Jared Stacy about the rise of conspiracy thinking, especially within American evangelicalism. Drawing on his research, Jared Stacy explains how conspiracy theories tap into fears of cultural decline, offer a sense of control, and become spiritually charged narratives about good and evil. He also explores opportunities for people to recognize these patterns and consider more grounded, truth-seeking ways of engaging faith and public life.

Greetings, beloved audience! Podcast producer Brittany and audio engineer Joel have joined forces to bring you the third annual installment of our favorite tradition -bloopers from this past year. Enjoy some silly behind-the-scenes content from your favorite episodes of Season 9 of The Bible for Normal People and Season 3 of Faith for Normal People. From all of us here at The Bible for Normal People, we wish you happy holidays and a wonderful new year. See you in 2026!

In this week’s episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Diana Butler Bass to talk about the Christian calendar. Diana walks through the history of how the Christian calendar came to be, what levels of importance different traditions give it, and how the Christian calendar can serve as a symbol of resistance against other timelines that might be dominated by capitalism and imperialism.

In this episode of Faith For Normal People, Pete and Jared revisit a conversation with Kristin Kobes du Mez, author of the bestselling book Jesus and John Wayne. The conversation explores the history of “toxic” masculinity in both the church and American pop culture, and how Christians in 2025 can be part of the resistance efforts against harmful cultural structures. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 170 from June 2021.

In this week’s episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete is joined by Liz Charlotte Grant to talk about using the Bible as a springboard for curiosity, inquiry, conversation, and community. This episode explores how art, imagination, and the practice of midrash can open up new ways of engaging scripture when literal readings don’t speak to what we see in the world today.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared sits down with media psychologist Dr. Angela Patterson to discuss the trends she studies in the spiritual lives of Gen Z, or people born between 1997 and 2012. Angela explains how the typical timeline of faith progression has become much less linear with Gen Z, and encourages parents, church leaders, and older generations to create a space for young people to ask tough questions, wrestle with doubts, and find new ways of living out faith. This episode also includes a special ending segment in which anonymous members of our Gen-Z cohort share their thoughts on faith.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with lawyer, lecturer, and author James Kimmel, Jr. about our primal desire for revenge against the people we feel have wronged us. James shares the science behind the belief that revenge is an addiction tied to gratification, and offers alternative strategies to break the revenge cycle and move towards a forgiveness-oriented approach to living.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Drew G. I. Hart and Jarrod McKenna to talk about rethinking power and nonviolence. Through practices inspired by Anabaptism, the Black church, and the teachings of Jesus, Drew and Jarrod explore how Christians can contribute to social change through their own nonviolent resistance as individuals and communities.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared and Jennifer Garcia Bashaw sit down with Mariko Clark to explore how adults can help kids encounter the Bible in ways that move beyond rigid rules and binaries. Together they discuss practices that cultivate curiosity, imagination, and a more expansive vision of God and faith.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Zach Lambert to talk about the journey from biblical literalism to a more liberative approach to scripture. They explore four harmful interpretive lenses—literalism, apocalypse, hierarchy, and moralism—and offer four healthier alternatives focused on Jesus, context, flourishing, and fruitfulness.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with David P. Gushee about what it means to take seriously the moral teachings of Jesus. They dig into how Jesus’s teachings are anchored in cultural context, yet still speak to real-life questions about freedom, forgiveness, status, and what it looks like to live well and love others.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Beau Underwood and Brian Kaylor join Pete and Jared to explore the history of how mainline Protestants have contributed to Christian nationalism in the United States. They explain how patriotic worship practices, uncritical support for the state, and assumptions about the nation’s “Christian” identity have shaped the movement—and how churches today can begin to untangle faith from nationalism.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Malcolm Foley to explore the connection between racism and greed in American history, and the calling of Christians to live differently. Drawing from his book The Anti-Greed Gospel, they discuss how economic self-interest has fueled racial injustice, how the church has been both complicit and resistant, and what it means to practice economic solidarity rooted in the life of Jesus.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Adis Duderija to discuss the rich diversity of belief within Islam. Adis outlines various expressions of the faith, challenges the idea of Islam as monolithic, and explores some of the history behind how these iterations came to be.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete Enns and Anna Sieges Beal talk with theologian Janet Williams about apophatic theology, a tradition that emphasizes the mystery of God by acknowledging the limits of human language and understanding. Janet explores how describing God by what God is not—rather than what God is—can open up a deeper, more expansive experience of the divine.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, nerds-in-residence Anna Sieges-Beal and Dr. Angela N. Parker talk with Dr. Wylin D. Wilson about the intersection of faith, justice, and healthcare through the lens of womanist bioethics. They explore how Black women’s lived experiences reveal deep ethical gaps in the medical system and how centering the most vulnerable offers a path toward collective healing and solidarity.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Matthew Paul Turner, co-author of the new kids’ book “What Is the Bible?” alongside the late Rachel Held Evans. Matthew opens up about how parenting has shaped him, from questioning his own beliefs to embracing a more open, loving approach. He talks about learning from his kids, unlearning old mindsets, and creating a space where curiosity and kindness lead the way.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Erin Hicks Moon about growing up Southern Baptist and how she started rethinking parts of her faith, moving away from certainty and learning to embrace mystery. She shares her experience with deconstruction, the Bible, and how faith can still be meaningful even without having everything figured out.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with NPR Politics reporter Sarah McCammon about the political influence of evangelicals and their support for Donald Trump. They explore how fear, cultural identity, and political strategy shape evangelical politics; the Republican Party’s relationship with religious voters; and the shifting demographics of Trump’s base.