Lead Balloons: The Alchemy of Unpopular Opinions

Trent and Joel discuss the difficulties of doing theology.  Joel gives an important backdrop of the transmission of the biblical text through the centuries and its relative reliability; Trent shows how systematic theology often fails to read biblical texts within their contexts.  They also discuss why great literature, the Bible included, tends to invite further debate while repelling clarity and closure.  Finally, Joel dishes on h...

This episode features an interview with Miriam Thompson, Ph.D.  Miriam is Assistant Teaching Professor at UCSB in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology.  She wrote an essay titled “The Courage to Disagree in Academia”, published in Journal of Free Black Thought.  This essay grabbed Trent and Joel’s attention. In this discussion, Miriam argues for the need for free expression and facing disagreement in acade...

Trent and Joel discuss Jesus' most well-known sermon from Matthew 5-7, known as "The Sermon on the Mount."  Topics include hidden righteousness, Jesus' reframing and reinterpretation of OT laws, non-violence, and money.  Joel reminds us of the need for a careful reading of this sermon: Jesus very likely did not deliver these words verbatim or all at once like this.  Gospel writers had their own theological purposes and rehashed his...

This episode is a continuation to the previous episode as Trent and Joel explore the world of Sports Psychology. Not into sports? That's okay! These principles apply to daily living: work, relationships, coping with mistakes, and self-improvement. Trent highlights the psychological state of flow. Joel challenges the idea of manifesting and recommends visualization, instead. And don't miss Trent's hilarious story of almost pooping h...

This discussion is about pluralism and whether it's a good thing.  Pluralism is an acceptance and perhaps embrace of divergent viewpoints, cultures, and religions within a society.  Trent and Joel talk about whether pluralism is a good thing and what kinds of skills and values it takes to find common ground with people who are different.  

This is not a rosy-eyed discussion of "why can't we all just get along".  The world has becom...

Joel and Trent present to you...Joshua Harris!  In this interview, they ask Joshua Harris about what it was like writing the bestseller I Kissed Dating Goodbye, how his changing views led him to discontinue its publication and repudiate some of its core principles, and what he is up to in his life and work now.  They talk about the importance of admitting when you've been wrong and what it's like to make major life transitions that...

Joel is joined in this episode by his wife, Poonam, in which they interview Trent.  The focus is Trent's unique path through life: spiritual transitions, career changes, and unconventional means.  They discuss how to break out of tired, old scripts and try new things, even as they consider how to confront non-sexy challenges like paying bills and planning for retirement.  This episode should challenge you to ask why you're living t...

Joel and Trent talk in this episode about forgiveness.  When should we forgive?  What does the process of forgiveness look like?  Is it always right to forgive?  

Trent seeks to add the terms "repair" and "reinstatement" to the discussion on forgiveness.   He notes the financial metaphor within which forgiveness exists. Joel introduces us to the work of Everett Worthington on forgiveness, in addition to talking about the problem of...

Trent and Joel consider the deleterious impact of social media on individuals and culture.  The backdrop is a recent article by Thom Hartmann, "Is Social Media This Generation's Heroin?" in which Hartmann examines the drug-like effects of social media.  They consider the pro's and con's of social media. Joel describes the theory of the triune brain and how our survival instinct's hyper-sensitivity to threats is being hijacked by so...

Joel and Trent delve into the philosophical branch of epistemology, which is basically the study of knowledge and how humans come to know things. They talk about the social media landscape and knowledge; establishing foundations; the varieties of ways of knowing; data vs. interpretation of data; and the importance of rigorous but open-minded skepticism in today's world.  

This episode gets a little nerdy, but it will challenge you ...

Trent and Joel interview Laura Kipnis, author of numerous books, including Love in the Time of Contagion; Men: Notes from an Ongoing Investigation; and Against Love.  The discussion includes topics such as love, the utopian vision, Laura's inspiration to write, cynicism about the current cultural moment, whether or not Laura acts as a prophet, etc.  She describes coming from a secular background but experiencing a unique variant of...

True kids of the 90's, Joel and Trent chat about the importance of grunge music.  They notice a dearth of lamentation and critique in what we often think of as Christian or church music, and they wonder if forms of music like grunge can help humans confront and embrace the darker aspects of our lives.  Joel and Trent both talk about each of their favorite songs, one from Pearl Jam and one from Alice in Chains.  

This episode will...

Joel and Trent seek to better understand what it means to be masculine and feminine.  They discuss the biological realities and social inputs that make up our concept of gender.  Joel talks about how the conventional model of masculinity was limiting as he grew into a man; Trent proffers the idea that a form of individualism might help some people steer in the right direction, rather than embracing the stereotypical gender norms.  ...

Trent and Joel welcome to the podcast Pasha Dashtgard for an exciting and informative interview.  Pasha is the Director of Research for the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University.  Dr. Dashtgard holds the Ph.D. in Social Psychology from UC-Irvine.  

Pasha discusses how young men can fall prey to online misinformation and nefarious algorithms that can result in their becoming radicalize...