Reimagining the Good Life with Amy Julia Becker

Send us a textHow do we decide who has a life worth living? Author and professor emerita Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss what it means to:be humanlive in communitycare for one anothernavigate the complicated ethics of selective abortionfind the language and stories to talk about a life worth living_ADVENT DEVOTIONAL: Prepare Him Room: Advent Reflections on What Happens When God Shows Up_ON THE PODCAST:Plough essay: “The Body She Had” by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson Book: About Us: Essays from the New York Times about Disability by People with Disabilities Sara Hendren’s episode: “Who Belongs? Disability and the Built World”_CONNECT with Dr. Garland-Thomson on her website: rosemariegarlandthomson.com_Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._About:Rosemarie Garland-Thomson is professor emerita of English and bioethics at Emory University. She works in disability culture, bioethics, and health humanities. She is a Hastings Center Senior Advisor and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is co-editor of About Us: Essays from the New York Times about Disability by People with Disabilities and author of Staring: How We Look and several other books._Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textPolitical divides don't just disappear after elections. If you long for a hopeful way forward, this conversation is for you. Pastor Corey Widmer talks with Amy Julia Becker about how to navigate political polarization with humility, love, and a commitment to Jesus' way of life.Corey and Amy Julia discuss:Political engagement and identity formationThe dangers of political idolatry and hyperindividualism How to embody love and curiosity in political discourseLiving out the way of Jesus in a polarized worldHow to respond to the election results _FREE DOWNLOAD: 5 Ways to Experience God's Love and Practice Peace_ON THE PODCAST:Sermon on the MountThe BeatitudesRich Villodas on the podcastThe AND CampaignHow to Be Christian in the Election | White PaperHow to Be Christian in the Election | Sunday School seriesThe Good Life of the Kingdom | Sermon_Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._Guest Bio:Rev. Corey Widmer is Senior Pastor of Third Church, a Presbyterian congregation in Richmond, VA. A graduate of University of Virginia and Princeton Theological Seminary, he also has a Ph.D. in theology from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Corey is married to Sarah, a public health nurse, and they have 4 teenage daughters.  Corey loves reading, exploring the outdoors, and pickleball! -Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textWhat freedom could we offer one another as humans if we weren’t so stuck on the "treadmill of achievements and quantified learning"? Pepper Stetler, PhD, is the author of A Measure of Intelligence: One Mother's Reckoning with the IQ Test. She joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast to share her personal journey navigating the world of IQ testing with her daughter Louisa, who has Down syndrome. Amy Julia and Dr. Stetler explore: the historical roots of these intelligence assessmentsIQ testing's societal implicationsthe ethical dilemmas the tests present for parents and educatorshow IQ tests shape our understanding of intelligence and the pursuit of a fulfilling lifeways to challenge conventional notions of achievement and success_Noonday Lucky Few bracelet (in celebration of Down Syndrome Awareness month): https://noondaycollection.com/products/lucky-few-bracelet_On the Podcast:A Measure of Intelligence: One Mother's Reckoning with the IQ Test by Pepper Stetler Alfred BinetDSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)Henry Goddard_Connect with Dr. Stetler on her website (pepperstetler.com) or X (@PepperStetler)._Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textThe way we tell the stories of our past plays a crucial role in shaping our imagination for the future. Author and historian Jemar Tisby, Ph.D., insists in his work that we tell a fuller story of our past, especially when it comes to the history of race and justice within the United States. Jemar joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss his latest book, The Spirit of Justice. Their conversation includes:The persistent spirit of justice in the Black Christian experience in AmericaThe historical and ongoing struggles against racismHow faith and storytelling fuel resilience and hopeAmy Julia's book: White Picket Fences: Turning toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege_Guest Bio:Jemar Tisby, PhD, is the author of new book The Spirit of Justice, and he also wrote the New York Times bestselling The Color of Compromise, and the award-winning How to Fight Racism. He is a historian who studies race, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century and serves as a professor at Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically Black college. _Connect Online with Dr. Tisby:Website: https://jemartisby.com/ | Instagram | Facebook | Substack/Newsletter_On the Podcast:The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance by Jemar TisbyThe Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar TisbyMississippi Civil Rights MuseumAmy Julia’s previous conversations with Jemar: S5 E10 | How Kids Can Fight Racism with Jemar Tisby, PhD S4 E1 | How Do We Fight Racism? with Jemar TisbyS3 E6 | Now Is the Time for Justice with Jemar Tisby_TRANSCRIPT here_YouTube video here with closed captions_Let’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textWhat does it mean to be human? Who counts as a human being and why? Anthropologist Tom Pearson has been asking these questions for a living for a long time, and then his daughter was born and diagnosed with Down syndrome, prompting him to ask the questions all over again in his book An Ordinary Future. Amy Julia and Tom discuss:Normalcy, disability, and the human experienceCultural perceptions of disability and the historical context of eugenics and institutionalization How prenatal testing influences societal views of disabilityInterdependence and its relationship to the human experienceThe ways disability is a source of innovation and community, not just an inevitabilityFREE RESOURCE: 10 Ways to Move Toward a Good Future {especially for families with disability}Guest Bio:Tom Pearson is a cultural anthropologist with wide-ranging interests in the fields of environmental justice and disability studies. He teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he also chairs the social science department. His writing has appeared in numerous scholarly journals and other public outlets. The birth of his daughter Michaela and her diagnosis with Down syndrome thrust him into an unfamiliar world of disability and difference. His book An Ordinary Future: Margaret Mead, the Problem of Disability, and a Child Born Different examines this experience in relation to Margaret Mead's path to disability rights activism. It confronts the dominant ideas, disturbing contradictions, and dramatic transformations that have shaped our perspectives on disability over the last century. Connect Online:Website | TwitterOn the Podcast:Washington Post: A mystery illness stole their kids’ personalities. These moms fought for answers.An Ordinary Future: Margaret Mead, the Problem of Disability, and a Child Born Different by Thomas PearsonTRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/tom-pearson/YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textThe ways we have envisioned success—whether it’s more wealth, social media followers, recognition, or power—might actually lead us away from an abundant, spacious life. Pastor Rich Villodas, author of The Narrow Way, joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast to examine how the Sermon on the Mount challenges prevailing notions of success and the good life and invites us to reimagine faithfulness to Jesus. Amy Julia and Rich discuss:Reimagining success, morality, and individualismInterior examination and the integration of loveThe paradox of the narrow path and the spacious life in Jesus’ wordsPractices for reimagining the good life in a world of distractionsEmbracing grace and seeking transformationCheck out Amy Julia's live, online WORKSHOP: Reimagining Family Life with Disability. Use code FAMILY24 at checkout and take 30% off!Guest Bio:Rich Villodas is the author of 4 books, including his latest The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls. He is the lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than 75 countries represented, in Elmhurst, Queens, and Long Island, New York. He is the co-host of the Resilient Pastor podcast. He’s been married to Rosie since 2006, and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan.Connect Online with Rich: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TwitterOn the Podcast:Matthew 5-7BibleProject Podcast: Sermon on the Mount seriesHope Heals CampMatthew: A Commentary, Volume 1 by Dale BrunerPete ScazzeroTRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/rich-villodas-2024/YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textHow do we envision the good life in a way that is hopeful and human and freeing and good? My name is Amy Julia Becker. I help people reimagine the good life through my writing and speaking on disability, faith, and culture.My hope for the work I do, and for this show, is that we would:–Challenge the assumptions about what makes life good–Proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being–And envision a world of belonging–Where everyone mattersDiscover captivating conversations with leading authors, professors, and experts who delve into what it truly means to be human and what makes life good. If you're ready to explore helpful, beautiful perspectives on belonging and belovedness and mattering, now is the perfect time to join.Subscribe today to catch new episodes every other week, beginning September 10. Let’s reimagine the good life together. Mark your calendar, and make sure you’re subscribed. You won’t want to miss this.REIMAGINING THE GOOD LIFE is available wherever you get your podcasts.Also, check out my live, online WORKSHOP: Reimagining Family Life with Disability. Use code FAMILY24 to take 30% off registration! It begins September 18th!YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textWhat does it mean to live a good life? How do we find meaning and happiness in our everyday lives? In this episode, Amy Julia Becker sits down with Meghan Sullivan, co-author of The Good Life Method and philosophy professor at Notre Dame, to explore:The narrow American understanding of the good lifeHow to help students (and all of us) explore the big questions about life, purpose, and meaningHow individuals with intellectual disabilities contribute to our understanding of humanityThe relationship between love, attention, and the good lifeExpanding our conceptions of work and vocation _SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Reimagining the Good Life newsletter._Guest Bio:Meghan Sullivan is the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. She serves as Director of the University-wide Ethics Initiative and is the founding director of Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, which will launch in the summer of 2024. In 2022, Sullivan published The Good Life Method with Penguin Press (co-authored with her teaching collaborator Paul Blaschko) based on a wildly popular introductory philosophy course she developed at Notre Dame called “God and the Good Life.” Sullivan has degrees from the University of Virginia, Oxford University, and Rutgers University, where she earned a PhD in philosophy. She studied at Balliol College, Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar._Connect Online:Website: meghansullivan.orgFacebook: @sullivan.meghan_On the Podcast:The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning by Meghan Sullivan, Ph.D. and Paul BlaschkoQuestions for a Life Worth Living with Matt Croasmun (Yale)Young Minds in Critical Condition by Michael Roth _TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/meghan-sullivan/_YouTube: video with closed captions_Let’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textIn a society often obsessed with intelligence, can we reimagine a good life that encompasses joy, meaning, and respect for all? What does it mean to respect and support individuals with profound intellectual disabilities? What role do those most intimately involved in providing care have in advocacy? Professor Amy Lutz, Ph.D., author of Chasing the Intact Mind, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss:How the severely autistic and intellectually disabled were excluded from the debates that affect them mostControversy and misconceptions about sheltered workshops/14(c) programsThe importance of meaningful relationships and communityBuilding a caring and committed workforce of caregiversListening to caregivers and families_FREE RESOURCE: 10 Ways to Move Toward a Good Future (especially for families affected by disability)_GUEST BIOProfessor Amy Lutz, Ph.D., is a historian of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research locates at the intersection of disability history and bioethics. She is a founding board member of the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA) and the author of Chasing the Intact Mind and several other books. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children, including Jonah, her 25-year-old son with profound autism. _CONNECT ONLINEWebsite: amysflutz.com/_ON THE PODCASTChasing the Intact Mind: How the Severely Autistic and Intellectually Disabled Were Excluded from the Debates That Affect Them Most by Amy Lutz, Ph.D.The Lancet Commission on the future of care and clinical research in autismSection 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards ActUnited States Commission on Civil Rights 2020John SwintonAmy Julia’s essay about the spiritual lives of people with intellectual disabilities_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/amy-lutz/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com and subscribe here to receive my weekly thoughts and reflections.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textHow do you hold onto hope in the midst of suffering? How can we trust in the goodness of God in a world of pain? What does the good life look like in the midst of disability and uncertainty? Katherine Wolf, author with Alex Wolf of Treasures in the Dark, survived a catastrophic stroke at the age of 26 and continues her recovery to this day. She offers thoughtful answers to these questions as she talks with Amy Julia Becker about: Her personal journey of suffering and hopePractices and habits of hopeCaring for others in painDifferences between hope and toxic positivityThe non-linear journey and unexpected realities of healingFREE RESOURCE: 10 Ways to Move Toward a Good Future (especially for families affected by disability)_Guest Bio:Katherine & Jay Wolf are communicators and advocates. They married and moved to Los Angeles to pursue careers in law and the entertainment industry. Their son, James was born in 2007, and six months later Katherine’s life nearly ended with a catastrophic stroke. Miraculously, she survived and continues her recovery to this day, including having a miracle baby, John in 2015. Katherine and Jay have shared their journey of steadfast hope through their books and at speaking events. Together, they founded Hope Heals camp, a community for families with disabilities like them. Katherine, Jay and their two sons live in the Atlanta area._Connect Online:Website: hopeheals.comInstagramFacebook_On the Podcast:The GoodHard Story podcastTreasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolf, with Alex Wolf (+ more of Katherine’s books)Hope Heals CampMend Coffee & Goods in AtlantaSara Groves’ Open My HandsMike Foster | People of the Second ChancePsalm 84:11John 16:33John 9Isaiah 45:3FREE RESOURCE: 10 Ways to Move Toward a Good Future (especially for families affected by disability)_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/katherine-wolf/_Watch on YouTube_Let’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textWe are heading into another contentious Presidential election. For people of faith, for people who care about character and gentleness and values, for people who are inclined to disengage from politics altogether, what are we to do? Michael Wear, author of The Spirit of Our Politics, joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about:His work as a staffer in the Obama White House (Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships)How political anger and polarization malform individuals, families, churches, and communitiesHabits and practices for gentle, hopeful political engagementStewarding political influence for the good of our neighborsPolitics and identityA new imagination for political engagementWorkshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With Disability_Guest Bio:“Michael Wear is the Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution based in the nation's capital with the mission to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. For well over a decade, he has served as a trusted resource and advisor for a range of civic leaders on matters of faith and public life, including as a White House and presidential campaign staffer. He is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, a paradigm-shifting book that advances a vision for spiritual formation in the context of political life, and the author and co-author of several other books.”_Connect Online:Website: www.michaelwear.comInstagramFacebookTwitter_On the Podcast:Dallas WillardThe Center for Christianity and Public LifeThe Divine Conspiracy by Dallas WillardThe Great Omission by Dallas WillardEitan HershActs 8Workshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With Disability_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/michael-wear/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captions_Let’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textWhat's the difference between limitations and brokenness? What does it mean to be blessed? How can a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism be a part of a flourishing life? Micha Boyett, a writer, poet, and mom, joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about her new book Blessed Are the Rest of Us. They explore the intersection of blessing, limits, and longing within the context of the Beatitudes, including:The meaning of 'blessed' and how it relates to the gifts and challenges of being humanFlourishing in the midst of grief and hardshipThe importance of insisting on presence and inclusion for people with disabilitiesHow to recognize and accept limitations without equating them with brokennessUsing our imaginations, minds, and bodies to move toward a new vision of the good lifeWorkshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With DisabilityGuest Bio:Micha Boyett is the author of Blessed Are the Rest of Us: How Limits and Longing Make Us Whole. She is cohost of the award-winning The Lucky Few podcast, creator of The Slow Way podcast and newsletter, and has written for publications such as the Washington Post and Christianity Today. Micha lives with her husband and three children in northern New Jersey and works part-time as a youth pastor at Good Shepherd Church in New York City.Connect Online:Website: michaboyett.comInstagram: @michaboyettThreads: @michaboyettOn the Podcast:{The Transition to Adulthood} Amy Julia on the Lucky Few Podcast{Living into the Really Real} Micha on Amy Julia’s podcastThe BeatitudesThe Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan T. PenningtonNick Cave on Krista Tippett’s On Being podcastAmy Julia’s book White Picket FencesThe Slow Way podcast and newsletterWorkshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With DisabilityTRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/micha-boyett/YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a text{Please note that we discuss abuse in this episode.}How do we love people across our political and social divides? What are the costs and gifts of loving our political neighbor? Nancy French, author of Ghosted: An American Story, talks with Amy Julia Becker about:Her experiences as a ghostwriter for GOP politicians and her decision to leave the industryPolarization within the church and the political landscapeInadequate responses to abuse from both the church and the cultureThe cost of speaking outFinding hope and connection in surprising waysNew Workshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With Disability_GUEST BIO:Nancy French has collaborated on multiple books for celebrities - five of which made the New York Times best seller list - and written books under her own name.  She has conducted a multi-year journalistic investigation, written commentary, and published for the nation’s most prominent newspapers and magazines. Her memoir, Ghosted, is a story of poverty, success and the rise and fall of political influence. She lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband – journalist David French – and family._CONNECT ONLINEWebsite: nancyfrench.comInstagram: @nancyjanefrenchFacebook: @NancyAndersonFrenchTwitter: @NancyAFrench_ON THE PODCAST:New Workshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With DisabilityGhosted: An American Story by Nancy FrenchThe Washington Post: What it’s like to experience the 2016 election as both a conservative and a sex abuse survivor by Nancy FrenchNancy’s Kanakuk Kamp investigationDavid French at the New York Times_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/nancy-french/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captions_Let’s Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com._Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textWhy does it matter that most churches don’t welcome people with disabilities in leadership? If a church excludes people with disabilities, is it really a church? Rev. Dr. Andrew Draper, coauthor of Disabling Leadership, talks with Amy Julia Becker about:Ways in which churches exclude and marginalize people with disabilitiesWhy it’s essential to centralize people with disabilities in church life and leadershipHow disability inclusion benefits the whole congregationReimagining church employment practices to create opportunities for people with disabilitiesWhy churches are tempted to pursue efficiency and productivity, and the invitation to a different wayHow to minister in the midst of humannessWorkshop: Reimagining Family Life with DisabilityEVENT: Festival of Faith & Writing__Guest Bio:Rev. Dr. Andrew T. Draper (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is founding teaching pastor at Urban Light Community Church in Muncie, Indiana, and adjunct theology faculty at Anderson School of Theology and Winebrenner Seminary. He is the author of A Theology of Race and Place, Christian Mission and Poverty, and numerous articles on race, disability, and the church. He is the coauthor of Disabling Leadership: A Practical Theology for the Broken Body of Christ._Connect Online:Read Andrew's blog.Follow him on Twitter: @AndrewTDraper_On the Podcast:Disabling Leadership: A Practical Theology for the Broken Body of Christ by Andrew T. Draper, Jody Michele, and Andrea MaeBrian BrockI Corinthians 12Friendship House (Western Theological Seminary)Friendship House (Aberdeen)Workshop: Reimagining Family Life with Disability_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/andrew-draper/_YouTube: video with closed captions_Let’s reimagine the good life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textWhy would a Christian author immerse her stories in darkness? Why would she use violent imagery that directly relates to Christianity, race, class, disability, and illness? And how can this darkness guide us toward the importance of love in the flesh, of personal connection and vulnerability? In this conversation, Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, author of Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress, and Amy Julia Becker explore:Flannery O'Connor's unique perspective on faith and darknessThe portrayal of disability in O’Connor’s storiesLove in the abstract versus love in the fleshChallenges of publishing an unfinished manuscriptHow the prophetic imagination in O'Connor's work confronts the dominant culture's illusions about the good lifeRegister for the Festival of Faith & Writing__Guest Bio:Jessica Hooten Wilson (PhD, Baylor University) is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She is the author or editor of eight books, including Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress, Reading for the Love of God, The Scandal of Holiness (winner of a Christianity Today 2023 Award of Merit), and Giving the Devil His Due: Demonic Authority in the Fiction of Flannery O’Connor and Fyodor Dostoevsky (winner of a 2018 Christianity Today Book of the Year Award). Wilson speaks around the world on topics as varied as Russian novelists, Catholic thinkers, and Christian ways of reading. __Connect Online:Website: https://jessicahootenwilson.com/Instagram: @drjessicahootenwilsonFacebook: @JessicaHootenWilsonTwitter: @HootenWilsonOn the Podcast:Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in ProgressRegister for the Festival of Faith & WritingTRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/jessica-hooten-wilson__Let’s Reimagine the Good Life together through the lens of disability, faith, and culture. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textIs blindness an incidental characteristic, like hair color? Or is it an identity? What language should we use to talk about disability, and why does it matter? Andrew Leland, author of The Country of the Blind, joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast for a conversation examining:Blindness and identityThe importance of language and the use of metaphors in relation to disabilityHow the experience of disability can involve beauty, power, and lossThe role of allies in advocating with disabled individualsHow Andrew has reimagined the good life_Amy Julia’s upcoming events_Guest Bio:Andrew Leland is a writer, audio producer, editor, and teacher living in Western Massachusetts. His first book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press. You can find links to order a copy here._Connect Online:Website: www.andrewleland.orgInstagram: @quailty_On the Podcast:Amy Julia’s upcoming eventsLeland’s New Yorker essay “How to Be Blind”National Federation of the BlindSara Hendren’s book and podcast episode with Amy JuliaAmy S. F. Lutz’s Chasing the Intact MindDeath Panel podcastJohn McWhorter’s NYT essay: “When We Do, and Don’t, Need a New Phrase to Describe Reality”Disability Language Style Guide TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/andrew-leland/_YouTube: video with closed captions_Reimagine the Good Life with me through the lens of disability, faith, and culture as we challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textThis podcast has a new name: Reimagining the Good Life. If you’re asking, “Why a name change?” and “Why now?”—I have answers! Author and teacher Patricia Clarke talks with me about:How disability challenges assumptions about the good lifeAccepting limitations and finding freedom within themHow faith and culture shape our understanding of the good lifeThe power of reimagining what’s possibleWhat all of this has to do with changing the podcast name!_GUEST BIO:Patricia Clarke is a speaker, teacher, and writer who brings people from different backgrounds together to talk about faith. She holds a master’s degree in English Literature, a Barnabas Counseling Certificate, and is currently enrolled in the Master of Theology program at Fuller Theological Seminary. In her new workbook, Lifted by Love, Clarke weaves her personal faith, love of storytelling, and teaching skills together to bring the wisdom of the Bible into daily life. She currently lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and four children. For up-to-date information, follow her on Instagram @patriciaclarkestudies or visit her website to subscribe to her updates: patriciaclarke.org._On the Podcast:Patricia Clarke’s book Lifted by LoveSteve Perkins at Greenhouse CoachingAmy Julia’s book White Picket FencesAndrew Leland’s book Country of the BlindMicha Boyett’s book Blessed Are the Rest of UsTreasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolfe and Alex WolfJohn McWhorter’s misunderstanding of disability Subscribe to Amy Julia’s updates_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/podcast-reimagining-good-life/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captions_Reimagine the Good Life with me through the lenses of disability, faith, and culture. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textIs faith something that should always stay the same? Or is it something that evolves by necessity? Sarah Bessey, author of Field Notes for the Wilderness, talks with Amy Julia Becker about:Her evolving faith journeyHow to adapt and thrive in an evolving faithMaking room for change, in ourselves and othersNavigating the intersection of anger and joyHow to discover what we're hoping for, not just what we’re againstHow to embrace the gifts of an evolving faith__MY LENTEN RESOURCES:LENTEN DAILY DEVOTIONALLenten Small Group Guide & Video Series_Guest Bio:Sarah Bessey is the author or editor of five books, including the New York Times bestseller A Rhythm of Prayer. Her latest book is Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith.. She also leads Evolving Faith, a conference and online community for people who are reimagining their faith with hope. Bessey lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with her husband and their four children._Connect Online:Website: sarahbessey.comInstagram: @sarahbesseyFacebook:@sarah.styles.bessey_On the Podcast:Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible's View of Women_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/sarah-bessey/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captions_Season 7 of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast connects to themes in my latest book, To Be Made Well, which you can order here! Learn more about my writing and speaking at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textHoliday culture wars and consumerism bring more chaos than joy to the world. But there’s hope. The countercultural season of Advent offers a different way to prepare for Christmas. Tish Harrison Warren, former New York Times columnist and author, talks with Amy Julia Becker about:How the practices of Advent disarm the culture warsWays that Advent helps us grieve and hopeWhy waiting to celebrate Christmas mattersPLUS why Tish chose to leave the New York TimesGive a book for Christmas!__Guest Bio:Tish Harrison Warren is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America. She is a former New York Times columnist the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life (Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year) and Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work, or Watch, or Weep (Christianity Today's 2022 Book of the Year and the 2022 ECPA Christian Book of the Year). Her latest book is Advent: The Season of Hope. She is a founding member of The Pelican Project and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum. She lives with her husband and three children in Austin, Texas.__Connect Online:Visit Tish's website at tishharrisonwarren.comFollow Tish on Instagram: @tishharrisonwarren__On the Podcast:Advent: The Season of HopeMore of Tish's booksTish’s final essay at the TimesAmy Julia's books__TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com//tish-harrison-warren/__YouTube Channel: video with closed captions__Season 7 of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast connects to themes in my latest book, To Be Made Well, which you can order here! Learn more about my writing and speaking at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!

Send us a textAnxious parents. Anxious families. Anxiety is contagious. How do I know if I’m an anxious parent? And if I am one, how is that affecting my kids? What can I do about it—for their sake and for mine? Therapist and author Sissy Goff, LPC-MHSP, joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast to talk about:How to identify and stop anxiety loopsWhy failure is good for parents and kidsCommon parenting strategies that DON’T workPractical tools for changing thought and behavior patternsPLUS you get to listen in to Amy Julia’s own parenting therapy session when she tells Sissy the hardest thing for her as a parent right now! Advent Devotional: Prepare Him Room is available now!__GUEST BIO:“Sissy Goff, LPC-MHSP, has worked as the director of child and adolescent counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries since 1993. She speaks to parents and children's ministers across the country, is a frequent guest on media outlets, and is the author of 13 books including her latest, The Worry-Free Parent. She also co-hosts the chart-topping Raising Boys and Girls podcast, with fellow Daystar Counselor David Thomas.”__Connect Online:Website: www.raisingboysandgirls.comInstagram: @RaisingBoysandGirls and @sissygoffFacebook: @raisingboysandgirlsYouTube: @raisingboysandgirls__On the Podcast:The Worry-Free Parent: Living in Confidence so Your Kids Can Too (Bethany House)The Worry-Free Parent Workbook__TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/sissy-goff/__YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsSeason 7 of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast connects to themes in my latest book, To Be Made Well, which you can order here! Learn more about my writing and speaking at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsite Thanks for listening!