Leif Enger writes novels about good people living through bad times. His new book, I Cheerfully Refuse, epitomizes what the Los Angeles Tines calls Enger's “musical, sometimes magical and deeply satisfying kind of storytelling.” In this episode, Leif Enger and Jonathan Rogers talk about dystopian fiction; courage, literacy, and hope; and the bass guitar.

Leif Enger writes novels about good people living through bad times. His new book, I Cheerfully Refuse, epitomizes what the Los Angeles Tines calls Enger's “musical, sometimes magical and deeply satisfying kind of storytelling.” In this episode, Leif Enger and Jonathan Rogers talk about dystopian fiction; courage, literacy, and hope; and the bass guitar.

Leif Enger on I Cheerfully Refuse

Emily P. Freeman spends a lot of time thinking, talking, and writing about discernment and decision-making–doing the next right thing. She hosts The Next Right Thing podcast and created The Next Right Thing Guided Journal. Her latest book is How to Walk Into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away. In this conversation, Emily and Jonathan Rogers talk about pointing and calling, the difference between discernment and decision-making, and the counterintuitive truth that, when it comes to discerning the next best step, remembering is more important than predicting.

Emily P. Freeman spends a lot of time thinking, talking, and writing about discernment and decision-making–doing the next right thing. She hosts <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-right-thing/id1268826768">The Next Right Thing podcast</a> and created <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Next-Right-Thing-Guided-Journal/dp/0800739779/ref=as_li_ss_tl?crid=1C0ORHFVQUGW5&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=the+next+right+thing+guided+journal&amp;qid=1608990540&amp;sprefix=the+next+right+thing,aps,150&amp;sr=8-3&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=chaatthesky-20&amp;linkId=15c46ee2af750163c19fc62638f0f375&amp;language=en_US">The Next Right Thing Guided Journal</a>. Her latest book is <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-walk-into-a-room-and-how-to-know-when-it-s-time-to-walk-out-discernment-for-your-next-right-thing-emily-p-freeman/20165302?ean=9780063328822">How to Walk Into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away</a>. In this conversation, Emily and Jonathan Rogers talk about pointing and calling, the difference between discernment and decision-making, and the counterintuitive truth that, when it comes to discerning the next best step, remembering is more important than predicting.

Emily P. Freeman On How to Walk Into a Room

Faith Chang struggles with perfectionism. Nevertheless, she pushed through and finished a book–about perfectionism. It’s called Peace Over Perfection: Enjoying a Good God When You Feel You're Never Good Enough. Faith is the guest on this week’s episode of The Habit Podcast.

Faith Chang struggles with perfectionism. Nevertheless, she pushed through and finished a book–about perfectionism. It’s called <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/peace-over-perfection-enjoying-a-good-god-when-you-feel-you-re-never-good-enough-faith-chang/20660742?ean=9781784989859">Peace Over Perfection: Enjoying a Good God When You Feel You're Never Good Enough</a>. Faith is the guest on this week’s episode of The Habit Podcast.

Faith Chang Is a Perfectionist.

Kenneth Padgett and Shay Gregorie are the founders of Wolfbane Books. They are also co-authors of the Story of God trilogy of picture books, beautifully illustrated by Aedan Peterson—The Story of God with Us, The Story of God the King,andThe Story of God Our Savior. In this episode, Kenneth and Shay and Jonathan Rogers talk about visual storytelling, Biblical theology (as distinct from systematic theology), mountains, and alligators. 

Kenneth Padgett and Shay Gregorie are the founders of Wolfbane Books. They are also co-authors of the Story of God trilogy of picture books, beautifully illustrated by Aedan Peterson—<a href="https://store.rabbitroom.com/products/the-story-of-god-with-us?variant=40005524783191">The Story of God with Us</a>, T<a href="https://store.rabbitroom.com/products/the-story-of-god-our-king?variant=40040199716951">he Story of God the King,</a> and <a href="https://store.rabbitroom.com/products/copy-of-the-story-of-god-our-king?_pos=18&amp;_sid=5b234899e&amp;_ss=r&amp;variant=40481592410199">The Story of God Our Savio</a>r. In this episode, Kenneth and Shay and Jonathan Rogers talk about visual storytelling, Biblical theology (as distinct from systematic theology), mountains, and alligators.

Kenneth Padgett and Shay Gregorie on Visual Storytelling

When pastor Brian Zahnd was walking five hundred miles across Spain on the Camino de Santiago, he contemplated hundreds of crosses and crucifixes. He asked the question, "What does this mean? Why is the image of a man nailed to a tree the most commonly represented story-image in the world?" Those ruminations gave rise to his new book, The Wood Between the Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. In this episode, Brian Zahnd and Jonathan Rogers talk about theopoetics, the eternal recurrence of holy awe, and the role of aesthetics in the life of the church.

When pastor Brian Zahnd was walking five hundred miles across Spain on the Camino de Santiago, he contemplated hundreds of crosses and crucifixes. He asked the question, "What does this mean? Why is the image of a man nailed to a tree the most commonly represented story-image in the world?" Those ruminations gave rise to his new book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wood-between-the-worlds-a-poetic-theology-of-the-cross-brian-zahnd/20122359?ean=9781514005620">The Wood Between the Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross</a>. In this episode, Brian Zahnd and Jonathan Rogers talk about theopoetics, the eternal recurrence of holy awe, and the role of aesthetics in the life of the church.

Brian Zahnd on Poetic Theology

Sarah Arthur has written and published a dozen books over the last twenty years or so, but her new book, Once a Queen, is her first foray into fiction. Once a Queen is a portal fantasy with clear connections to the books of E. Nesbit, The Secret Garden, and the Chronicles of Narnia. In this conversation, Sarah and Jonathan Rogers talk about literary influences (both conscious and unconscious), writers’ groups, and being “a spy for hope.”

Sarah Arthur has written and published a dozen books over the last twenty years or so, but her new book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/once-a-queen-sarah-arthur/18530576?ean=9780593194454">Once a Queen</a>, is her first foray into fiction. Once a Queen is a portal fantasy with clear connections to the books of E. Nesbit, The Secret Garden, and the Chronicles of Narnia. In this conversation, Sarah and Jonathan Rogers talk about literary influences (both conscious and unconscious), writers’ groups, and being “a spy for hope.”

Sarah Arthur is a spy for hope.

Andi Ashworth and Charlie Peacock live at the intersection of hospitality and creativity. This husband and wife duo founded Art House America, a unique artistic hub of rich hospitality, conversations of consequence, and imaginative creativity. Charlie is a Grammy-winning record producer. Andi is an author, a mentor, and a paragon of hospitality. Together they wrote a new book, Why Everything that Doesn’t Matter, Matters So Much. In this conversation, Andi and Charlie speak with Jonathan Rogers about the idea of cultivating a life of the mind while being firmly planted in our flesh-and-bone, earthly existence. We talk about the ways that "Love can be the trustworthy basis of imaginative and creative good.” And we talk about Andi’s journaling practice, among other things.

Andi Ashworth and Charlie Peacock live at the intersection of hospitality and creativity. This husband and wife duo founded Art House America, a unique artistic hub of rich hospitality, conversations of consequence, and imaginative creativity. Charlie is a Grammy-winning record producer. Andi is an author, a mentor, and a paragon of hospitality. Together they wrote a new book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/why-everything-that-doesn-t-matter-matters-so-much-the-way-of-love-in-a-world-of-hurt-andrea-ashworth/20221615?ean=9781400337644">Why Everything that Doesn’t Matter, Matters So Much</a>. In this conversation, Andi and Charlie speak with Jonathan Rogers about the idea of cultivating a life of the mind while being firmly planted in our flesh-and-bone, earthly existence. We talk about the ways that "Love can be the trustworthy basis of imaginative and creative good.” And we talk about Andi’s journaling practice, among other things.

Andi Ashworth and Charlie Peacock Think Everything Matters

Amy F. Davis Abdallah is a professor, writer, speaker, and creator of rituals. Her latest book is Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move Through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between. Starting with the foundation that rituals are a core, and underexplored, part of Christian practice, she draws from theology, psychology, and personal experiences in creating rituals for herself and others. In this episode, Amy and Jonathan Rogers talk about the difference between communicating meaning and communicating information. They talk about the ways we ritualize without knowing it. And Jonathan asks Amy whether she has rituals around her own writing life.

<a href="https://www.amydavisa.com/">Amy F. Davis Abdallah </a>is a professor, writer, speaker, and creator of rituals. Her latest book is <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/meaning-in-the-moment-how-rituals-help-us-move-through-joy-pain-and-everything-in-between-amy-f-davis-abdallah/19692230?ean=9781587435812">Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move Through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between</a>. Starting with the foundation that rituals are a core, and underexplored, part of Christian practice, she draws from theology, psychology, and personal experiences in creating rituals for herself and others. In this episode, Amy and Jonathan Rogers talk about the difference between communicating meaning and communicating information. They talk about the ways we ritualize without knowing it. And Jonathan asks Amy whether she has rituals around her own writing life.

Amy F. Davis Abdallah loves ritual.

Mike Cosper is the director of podcasting for Christianity Today, where he hosts The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and Cultivated: A Podcast About Faith and Work. He is the author of several books, most recently Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found.

Mike Cosper is the director of podcasting for Christianity Today, where he hosts <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/">The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill </a>and <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/cultivated/">Cultivated: A Podcast About Faith and Work</a>. He is the author of several books, most recently <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/land-of-my-sojourn-the-landscape-of-a-faith-lost-and-found-mike-cosper/20293332?ean=9780830847341">Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found</a>.

Mike Cosper on the Stories We Tell Ourselves

Allen Levi is a singer-songwriter and an exceedingly talented storyteller.  His memoir from a few years ago, The Last Sweet Mile, is a very moving account of his life with his brother–especially the last year before his brother died. Allen has also been a lawyer and a judge. And now he is a novelist. Theo of Golden, Allen Levi’s first novel, is the story of a mysterious and kind stranger who comes to a small town.

Allen Levi is a singer-songwriter and an exceedingly talented storyteller.  His memoir from a few years ago, <a href="https://store.rabbitroom.com/products/the-last-sweet-mile?_pos=456&amp;_sid=6f54b71ff&amp;_ss=r&amp;variant=10693435395">The Last Sweet Mile</a>, is a very moving account of his life with his brother–especially the last year before his brother died. Allen has also been a lawyer and a judge. And now he is a novelist. <a href="https://www.allenlevi.com/store">Theo of Golden</a>, Allen Levi’s first novel, is the story of a mysterious and kind stranger who comes to a small town.

Allen Levi Wants You to be Brave.

Conversations with writers about writing, hosted by Jonathan Rogers.

The Habit Podcast

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