The Puddcast

#141: What happened to our elders? (with David Tensen)

Jonathan Puddle — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 16:35:51 +0000

In episode 141 of The Puddcast, I discuss the process of growing into wise and gracious elders, with the remarkable David Tensen. A chaplain, poet, business researcher and more, David’s latest book Decenter Everything examines what happened to our elders and how we can become people with “fat souls,” able to provide non-judgemental companionship to others by decentering ourselves (and our ideologies, etc.). We reflect on moving into our autumn season, and even contemplate death and how Western aversion to anything to do with death keeps us from living presently.

Order Decenter Everything: The Unconventional Approach to Eldering in an Age of Immaturity, by David Tensen.
Learn more about David’s poetry, research and other writings at davidtensen.com.

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Check out my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.

Grab my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men (good for women too)

Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#140: Re-Parenting through Hope & Belonging (with Mariko Clark & Rachel Eleanor)

Jonathan Puddle — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:12:21 +0000

In episode 140 of The Puddcast, we discuss spiritual and emotional growth with Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor, authors of The Book of Belonging. We explore the journey of creating a Story Bible that emphasizes representation, inclusion, and gentle parenting practices. Mariko and Rachel reflect on the personal and communal impact of trust, intuition, and vulnerability, sharing their experiences with parenting, deconstruction, and creative collaboration. This conversation is an invitation to embrace hope and embodied spirituality as we navigate our complex journeys of faith and belonging.

Order The Book of Belonging:Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids, by Mariko Clark & Rachel Eleanor.
Learn more about the community forming around The Book of Belonging here.

Listen to Jonathan’s recent interview with Tara Boothby, of Sojourn Psychology.

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Check out my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.

Grab my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men (good for women too)

Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#139: Sabbatical Reflections | "Love is Working"

Jonathan Puddle — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 21:38:26 +0000

After a year-long hiatus, The Puddcast is back with episode 139! Tryphena and I share some heartfelt reflections on my family’s six-month sabbatical to New Zealand, England, Greece, and Finland. I unpack some unexpected discoveries I made about identity, intuition, and the importance of family and cultural roots. We reflect on the diversity of global faith traditions, the impact of stepping outside the North American bubble, and the recognition of humanity's inherent goodness and love.

Now available in video at youtube.com/jonathanpuddle. You can support me and my work, or join my Patreon community, at jonathanpuddle.com/support.

Buy my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You. Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

Chapters in this Episode

00:00 Welcome Back to The Puddcast!

00:21 Why We Took a Break

01:29 Jonathan’s Sabbatical Journey

02:51 Returning Home

04:01 The Joys and Challenges of Being Back

10:01 Reflections on Sabbatical

20:19 Financial and Emotional Rollercoaster

24:38 Reflections on Aging and Identity

25:47 Emotional Experiences in Church

28:08 Global Church Perspectives

34:34 The False Binaries of North American Culture

43:30 Finnish Mustard

51:18 The Evolution of Human Consciousness

#138: Relational Resilience for the Exhausted (with Heather Thompson Day)

Jonathan Puddle — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 18:31:06 +0000

Professor, author, speaker and all-around delightful person Heather Thompson Day is our guest on The Puddcast—something I’ve been hoping to make happen for 3 years. Dr. Heather is Associate Professor of Communication at Andrews University, and the author of 8 books; including her latest, I'll See You Tomorrow: Building Relational Resilience When You Want to Quit. Heather shared her perspective that all relationship is sacred, and that ministering the gospel is often as simple as reflecting people’s human dignity back to them. We reflected on living with delight and purpose, inside the mundane limits of our actual lives. Heather unpacked the myth of self-reliance and explained how not all relationships have to be strong, intimate ones to still have profound value and sacred impact. If you’re tired and have not much left to give right now, this one is for you.

Order I'll See You Tomorrow: Building Relational Resilience When You Want to Quit, by Heather Thompson Day and Seth Day.
Learn more about Heather’s work at heatherthompsonday.com.

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Check out my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.

Grab my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men (good for women too)

Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#137: Creating suicide-safe churches (Steve Austin tribute)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 26 May 2023 18:44:05 +0000

Two years ago, my friend Steve Austin, an author, mental health advocate and former pastor, died by suicide. Ever since then, I’ve intended to dedicate an episode to his memory and his work, and this is that episode. Including a powerful interview with Lindsey Austin, Steve’s wife, along with a selection of readings from Steve’s book, Hiding In The Pews: Shining Light on Mental Illness in the Church, this is a vulnerable and sacred discussion that filled me with more hope and joy than I expected. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have reached out to me this Spring while hitting really dark patches in their mental health. Pastors, it is our job to help, but not always in the ways we expect or assume. This episode is for all of us, so we can learn to create suicide-safe spaces.

Order Hiding In The Pews: Shining Light on Mental Illness in the Church by Steve Austin.
Learn more about Steve’s legacy at iamsteveaustin.com

Grab my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men (good for women too)
Check out my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#136-B: Reflecting on Aundi Kolber and self-compassionate survival

Jonathan Puddle — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 16:02:39 +0000

Tryphena and I kept the mics rolling right after our interview with Aundi Kolber, and let me tell you… it’s a wild ride! We discussed the provocativeness of wholeness, including a physics lesson and a reflection on quantum physics… Why? Because presence is a powerful resource, and I have some theories about it. We talked about anger and injustice, we examined the time that Jesus had a panic attack, and we landed on rest and the safety of unproductivity. Strap in, it’s a wild ride.

For maximum impact, make sure you listen to the source episode, #136: Flexible strength—compassionate survival (with Aundi Kolber)

Buy my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Order my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#136: Flexible strength—compassionate survival (with Aundi Kolber)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:10:59 +0000

My good friend Aundi Kolber returns to the show to discuss her brand new book, Strong Like Water: Finding the Freedom, Safety, and Compassion to Move through Hard Things—and Experience True Flourishing. Our conversation revolves around reframing many things we’ve seen as weaknesses, even sins, as forms of strength that enabled us to survive hard things. We reflected on the particular shame we feel after having put in years of healing work in therapy, only to feel like we fall apart again. Aundi explained how resilience has been weaponized at times, and she honours the fact that we should never have had to be this strong. This is a powerful and intimate conversation that I think will bring real hope to you. Enjoy.

Order Strong like Water: Finding the Freedom, Safety, and Compassion to Move through Hard Things—and Experience True Flourishing by Aundi Kolber
Learn more about Aundi’s work at aundikolber.com
Follow Aundi on Instagram and Twitter.

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#135-B: Unpacking Brad Jersak and the idol smashing of deconstruction

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:44:00 +0000

Here’s a new Puddcast B-Side, unpacking idol smashing and how to create a welcoming, forgiving space as we deconstruct from toxic theology. My pastor, Amy Ryan, joined Tryphena and I to discuss our takeaways from Brad Jersak’s thoughts on the necessity, perils and possibilities of deconstruction, including how painful and confusing it can be for us in the midst of it. We examined our own parenting in light of power dynamics, and how each revival or movement in the church or culture persecutes the one that comes next. As usual, there’s loads in here.

For maximum impact, make sure you listen to the source episode, #135: The necessity, perils and possibilities of deconstruction (with Brad Jersak)

Buy my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

#135: The necessity, perils and possibilities of deconstruction (with Brad Jersak)

Jonathan Puddle — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 16:55:02 +0000

The wonderfully wise and gentle Brad Jersak returns to the show, with a guest co-host! This special episode was recorded live when I was visiting Jonathan Martin recently, and we co-interviewed Brad about his latest book, Out of the Embers: Faith After the Great Deconstruction. We reflected on the historical precedence of faith deconstruction, observing that it is both a current move of God in our time as well as an ancient tradition of idol smashing. We discussed the harm we can do to others in our deconstruction journey, and how deconstruction can liberate from toxicity while also being incredibly painful and destabilizing. We talk about the importance of not replacing one form of fundamentalism with another, and moving from alienation to communion. Brad left us with a ton of practical tools on how you can connect with God and feel God’s love, right now, wherever and whoever you are.

Order Out of the Embers: Faith After the Great Deconstruction, by Bradley Jersak.
Learn more about Brad’s work at bradjersak.com
Follow Brad on Instagram and Twitter.

Grab my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men (good for women too)
Check out my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#134-B: Exploring Dave Connis on laughter, silliness and work

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 14:36:13 +0000

Here’s the latest Puddcast B-Side, exploring themes of laughter and silliness and the value of everything, from our interview with Dave Connis. When Dave said, “Everything counts” something inside me exploded, or clarified, or whatever… it’s been big for me. Tryphena and I discuss finding joy in all things, redefining joy as a valuable part of serious work, and discerning what will and won’t bring joy. We riff on learning to see all the mundane aspects of our lives (especially as parents) not as surpluss to the real work but as the real work, as much as our rest is also a valid part of the real work, because it’s all part of the whole life we’re living. We also touched on accepting our bodies, even as they age, and loads more as usual.

For maximum impact, make sure you listen to the source episode, #134: A theology of laughter and co-creation (with Dave Connis)

Buy my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

#134: A theology of laughter and co-creation (with Dave Connis)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 14:03:45 +0000

Children’s and Young Adult author Dave Connis comes to The Puddcast to teach us the importance of laughter (and more). Dave’s hilarious and meaningful storybooks, The Inventions of God (and Eva), and The Stories of God (and Kiki) both captured our affection in a big way. We reflected on being intentional about the stories we tell our children and what we pass on to them; seeing ourselves within the continuum of generations before and after ourselves; how God invites all the parts of ourselves to co-creation; and more. If you’re a human being make sure to have a listen, and if you have kids, grandkids or nieces & nephews, make sure to grab his books from the links below.

Order The Inventions of God (and Eva), by Dave Connis (illustrations by Amy Domingo)
Order The Stories of God (and Kiki), by Dave Connis (illustrations by Amy Domingo)
Learn more about Dave’s work at daveconnis.com
Follow Dave on Instagram and Twitter.

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#133-B: Debriefing Lisa Sharon Harper on race, monarchy & forgiveness

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 19:36:34 +0000

Just in time for Christmas comes a wild ride of a B-Side. Looking back at our interview with Lisa Sharon Harper, Tryphena and I reflected on themes of forgiveness and reparations, the gift of tongues as Indigenous celebration, how the monarcy dehumanizes people, the emotional impact on Europeans of that dehumanization, the myth of an American Christian nation and more. We were both deeply impacted by Lisa’s book Fortune and so we sounded off, big time.

For maximum impact, make sure you listen to the source episode, #133: How race broke the world (with Lisa Sharon Harper)

Buy my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

#133: How race broke the world (with Lisa Sharon Harper)

Jonathan Puddle — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 16:44:33 +0000

Acclaimed speaker, activist, playwright, and the author of several books, Lisa Sharon Harper is on The Puddcast! Recognized as one of the most important and powerful voices speaking to matters of justice and religion today, Lisa joined us to talk about her latest book Fortune: How Race Broke my Family and the World - and How to Repair it All. Blending fascinating ancestry research, family biography and memoir with a detailed history of race law in the United States, Fortune moved me profoundly. In this interview we discuss colonialism, radical re-connection to our stories and land; we explore shalom, confession, and the rehumanizing process of forgiveness. We talk about the lies of European supremacy and the greatness of pre-colonial African nations. There is some heavy content within, but it’s also full of hope and wisdom. Please listen today and let your heart be impacted.

Order Fortune: How Race Broke my Family and the World - and How to Repair it All, by Lisa Sharon Harper
Order The Very Good Gospel, by Lisa Sharon Harper
Learn more about Lisa’ work at lisasharonharper.com
Follow Lisa on Instagram and Twitter.

Buy my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

#132-B: Unpacking Katie Gaddini on single women leaving the church

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 16:35:09 +0000

The B-Side is back! Katie Gaddini’s evocative book unveiling the factors that cause single women to feel alienated in the church triggered some THOUGHTS from both Tryphena and myself. Having both served in churches for many years, we each shared some of the ways we’ve seen “the ideal Christian woman” trope play out, why this and other things are so problematic, and what we want to see happen. We talked about a deep faith in Jesus bringing about a wide embrace of people, how we each need to be doing the work of growth and introspection, how marriage can be a framework of control, church NDAs and more!

For maximum impact, make sure you listen to the source episode, #132: Why single women are leaving the church (with Dr. Katie Gaddini).

To enter the giveaway I mentioned, head over to jonathanpuddle.com/giveaway

Buy my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

#132: Why single women are leaving the church (with Dr. Katie Gaddini)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 14:21:09 +0000

Sociologist and author Dr. Katie Gaddini joins us to talk about the factors forcing single evangelical women out of the church. Rather than a focus on faith deconstruction, we talked about power structures and cultural norms, such as “the ideal Christian woman,” how such stereotypes develop, and how they alienate people who don’t fit them. We touched on sexuality, purity culture, whiteness, patriarchy, affluence, wealth, and more in a quest to understand why the largest group currently leaving the church is women. This important conversation is based on Dr. Gaddini’s helpful and accessible book, The Struggle to Stay: Why Single Evangelical Women Are Leaving the Church, which I highly recommend.

Order The Struggle to Stay: Why Single Evangelical Women Are Leaving the Church by Dr. Katie Gaddini
Learn more about Katie’s work at katiegaddini.com
Follow Katie on Instagram and Twitter.

Buy my latest book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

#131: Men's devotionals are terrible (but Jesus isn't)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:45:55 +0000

To commemorate the launch (and the irony) of my latest book (a men’s Bible devotional), my friend Anthony McLean returns to host the show and interview me! We talked about men’s mental health, overworking ourselves, permitted male emotions, and purity culture… and then we riffed deep on original sin, brokenness and how to understand freedom and love in a beautiful wide open field of grace. This ended up being one of my most favourite conversations and I hope you’ll listen to the whole thing.

You can order my brand new book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men, right here.

You can learn more about Anthony McLean at anthonymclean.org

Listen to the earlier episode when Anthony interviewed me about learning to love ourselves.

Support the show and my other work by becoming a Patron or making a one-time donation, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Order my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#130: The Soul of the Helper (with Dr. Holly Oxhandler)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:37:14 +0000

Professor, researcher and podcaster Dr. Holly Oxhandler is my guest, talking about the supports that helpers need to keep on helping. Whether we’re talking about parents, therapists, pastors, teachers or literally anyone else who helps, Holly’s research has shown the importance of seeing the divine inside ourselves so that we can connect with the divine in others. Her book, The Soul of the Helper: Seven Stages to Seeing the Sacred Within Yourself So You Can See It in Others, has been very impactful in my life and we unpacked her social work research, what she’s found, and why it works. This is gentle and vulnerable and practical, like all good Puddcasts should be. Get in!

Order The Soul of the Helper: Seven Stages to Seeing the Sacred Within Yourself So You Can See It in Others, by Dr. Holly K. Oxhandler
Listen to Holly’s podcast (with Robert Vore), CXMH: a podcast at the intersection of faith & mental health.
Learn more about Holly’s work at hollyoxhandler.com
Follow Holly on Instagram and Twitter.

Buy my brand new book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

#129-B: Debriefing Jonathan Martin on the road away from God

Jonathan Puddle — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 19:10:51 +0000

Time for another B-Side! Tryphena and I kept the mics rolling after we bid farewell to Jonathan Martin, and we leaned into his thoughts on God walking with us, even as we think we’re walking away. We riff on the divine power revealed in human agency, finding peace in the knowledge that God is present in everything, discerning the simple next steps in front of us, and walking life out in community.

For maximum impact, make sure you listen to our source episode, #129: Finding hope on the road away from God (with Jonathan Martin).

Buy my brand new book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men (it’s women-friendly!)

Support the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Check out my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#129: Finding hope on the road away from God (with Jonathan Martin)

Jonathan Puddle — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:14:56 +0000

Pastor, writer and social leader Jonathan Martin returns to the show to explain how the journey that we’re each on is the journey we need to be on. Using the story of the disciples leaving Jerusalem on the road to Emmaus, Jonathan explains that even when we think we’re walking away from God, love finds us on the road. Tryphena and I ask him about the risky nature of doubt, of how granting freedom works as a pastor, and how to be honest about the harm done to us, while holding on to hope that perhaps healing is possible after all. It’s beautiful and raw and real, if you’ve felt at all disillusioned by God or church or the world in the last few years then I commend this to you wholeheartedly.

Order The Road Away from God: How Love Finds Us Even as We Walk Away, by Jonathan Martin
Listen to Jonathan’s podcast, The Zeitcast.
Learn more about Jonathan’s work at jonathanmartinwords.com
Follow Jonathan on Twitter and Instagram.

Buy my brand new book, Mornings with God: Daily Bible Devotional for Men

#128-B: Unpacking Kevin Sweeney on mystics + mushrooms

Jonathan Puddle — Tue, 17 May 2022 23:53:40 +0000

This here’s a B-Side, folks! As Tryphena and I walked back through our interview with Kevin Sweeney about mystics, mushrooms and the power of letting go, we found ourselves camped out discussing our value and worth when we’re not productive. Tryphena asks, if a flower shines with no one to see its beauty, is it still beautiful? We shared some dark night of the soul stories and challenged each other to live present, right here and now, in this cosmos, rather than escape.

For maximum impact, make sure you listen to our source episode, #128: Mystics, mushrooms and the power of letting go (with Kevin Sweeney).

#128: Mystics, mushrooms and the power of letting go (with Kevin Sweeney)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 05 May 2022 14:25:48 +0000

Pastor, poet and mystic Kevin Sweeney comes to The Puddcast this month to share about his journey of encountering God while high on mushrooms. And that’s just the beginning! Starting this episode, we welcome Tryphena Perumalla-Gagnon as a co-host on the show. Tryphena and I had a blast with Kevin, exploring what it means to lean into the contemplative and mystical and find God present in the everyday moments of our lives. He explained the importance of transitioning from spiritual peaks to spiritual practices, and how the key to safety, identity and fulfilment really does lie in letting go of everything. We touched on a range of topics, including vulnerability, pastoral idealism, parenting, pursuing the Spirit without the expectations of others, and much more. Get in!

Order The Making of a Mystic: My Journey with Mushrooms, My Life as a Pastor, And Why it’s Okay for Everyone to Relax by Kevin Sweeney.
Learn more about Kevin at imaginehi.org and listen to his podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-needs-therapy/id1525310667
Follow Kevin on Twitter and Instagram.

#127-B: Discussing Bridget Eileen Rivera on what gay Christians experience in church

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 07:06:00 +0000

BONUS EPISODE! I’m away on vacation so instead of a fresh interview, Tryphena and I decided to share our B-Side from episode 127 (back in the days of episode 127 the B-Sides were exclusive to patrons only). Tryphena echoed the question of many listeners by asking why—after 3 years—I decided to publicly engage the topic of LGBTQ+ faith when I have been mostly silent on it. You’ll hear lots of my own story with my dad, and we talked about Bridget’s amazing poise and grace in carrying this heavy burden, for all our benefit. And more!

For maximum impact, make sure you listen to our source episode, #127: What gay Christians experience in church (with Bridget Eileen Rivera).

#127: What gay Christians experience in church (with Bridget Eileen Rivera)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:27:53 +0000

Bridget Eileen Rivera comes to The Puddcast this month to share what it’s like for LGBTQ Christians in the church today. Her book, Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church, is a compassionate, heartbreaking exposé on the theological and sociological structures that block queer Christians from pursuing Christ together. Bridget shared her journey of growing up believing she was an object of wrath, before diving into Scripture to find the truth of her belovedness. We explore some of the different ways queer Christians live out their faithfulness and the importance of allowing everyone the dignity to follow the Holy Spirit. I commend this discussion to you as strongly as I can.

Order Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church by Bridget Eileen Rivera
Learn more about Bridget at meditationsofatravelingnun.com
Follow Bridget on Twitter and Instagram.

#126: Love, freedom and conflict (with Ashley Abercrombie)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 16:58:25 +0000

This month I got to interview a true kindred spirit, Ashley Abercrombie. Ashley’s message of embracing transformative love by bravely facing disagreement and conflict was challenging to me in all the best ways. Ashley grew up in the American South before moving to Los Angeles and Manhattan. Along the way, she faced addiction, perfectionism, sexual assault and more, and today is a writer, podcaster, pastor and mom to three young kids. Her latest book is called Love is the Resistance: Learn to disagree, resolve the conflicts you've been avoiding and create real change. It’s excellent.

Order Love is the Resistance: Learn to disagree, resolve the conflicts you've been avoiding and create real change, by Ashley Abercrombie.
Learn more about Ashley at ashabercrombie.com
Follow Ashley on Instagram and Twitter.

#125: Bitter and Sweet — the journey of Lent (with Tsh Oxenreider)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 16:02:59 +0000

This month I connected with long-time blogger and author Tsh Oxenreider all about Lent. Tsh grew up big Bible church and after living abroad for many years found herself drawn to the Catholic church. Her new book, Bitter & Sweet: A Journey into Lent is a practical, easy to use devotional tool for leaning into the upcoming season of Lent. Our conversation has got me reflecting on the seasons of nature, especially winter, the darkness and the hope we need, and how Lent grew out of the human need for hope in this season. Did you know that Lent predates the Bible? We talk about all this, and the idea of “being in the season of Lent”, rather than Lent as something you do.

Take my survey! A few quick questions to help me plan for this year.

Order Bitter & Sweet: A Journey into Lent by Tsh Oxenreider

Learn more about Tsh at tshoxenreider.com
Follow Tsh on Twitter and Instagram.

#124: The wisdom of your body (with Hillary L. McBride, PhD)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 21:02:59 +0000

I had the great joy of welcoming author, psychologist, researcher and podcaster Hillary L. McBride, PhD to the show this week. We discussed the idea that our bodies are a source of wisdom and truth, the topic of her critically important new book, The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living. Hillary shared profound insights on the burdens our bodies bear when we ignore them, the ways Western colonialism has disembodied all of us, and how salvation itself can be a bodily reality. She offers helpful guidance for those of us getting used to being in-person again after COVID lockdowns, and more. I highly recommend this discussion and her book!

Order The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living (Canadian edition)
Order The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living (US edition)
Learn more about Hillary at hillarylmcbride.com
Follow Hillary on Twitter and Instagram.

#123: The gifts of neurodiversity (with Daniel Bowman Jr.)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 19:36:35 +0000

My new friend Daniel Bowman Jr. is my guest this week, and he shares his story of learning he was autistic as an adult. Daniel is an English professor and poet, and he shares the importance of understanding the different ways brains work, the gifts present in neurodiversity, and the importance of moving away from a pathology paradigm. We also discussed the life-giving rhythms of contemplative prayer for folks whose brains desire consistency and repetition. Daniel is the author of On The Spectrum: Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity.

Order On The Spectrum: Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity by Daniel Bowman Jr.
Learn more about Daniel at danielbowmanjr.com
Follow Daniel on Twitter and Instagram.

#122: The embodied faith of our grandmothers (with Kat Armas)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 22:19:24 +0000

Kat Armas comes to the show this week to discuss embodiment, the sacredness of survival, and the faith of our grandmothers. Kat argues that our grandmothers, especially abuelitas in Latine cultures, function as live-in ministers particularly because the privilege to receive formal religious instruction is often unavailable. We all miss out on the unique, embodied, ways of knowing truth and practicing wisdom when we don’t turn our gaze to these figures who have been in our lives since before we were born. Kat’s book is called, Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach us About Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength, and it’s excellent. Check it out below!

Order Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach us About Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength, by Kat Armas.
Learn more about Kat at kararmas.com
Follow Kat on Twitter and Instagram.

#121: What Christians should know about the Bible (with Michael F. Bird)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 13:40:11 +0000

Michael F. Bird, editor of The New Testament in its World with N.T. Wright returns this week to discuss things that he wishes Christians knew about the Bible. Mike is a scholar and theologian and his new book, 7 Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible, provides lots of fodder for thought and discussion. He lays out how the Bible came to be, how to respond to literalist claims about Scripture, examining why people should read the Apocrypha, and then we talk about critical race theory and why it’s important to read outside your own tradition, listening to the stories of folks who don’t look like you.

Order 7 Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible by Michael F. Bird
Read Mike’s blog at patheos.com/blogs/euangelion
Follow Mike on Twitter.

Order Evangelical Theology, Second Edition: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction by Michael F. Bird
Order Early Christian Readings of Genesis One: Patristic Exegesis and Literal Interpretation by Craig Allert
Mike’s review of African American Readings of Saul, by Lisa Bowen

#120: When Everything's on Fire (with Brian Zahnd)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:58:54 +0000

This week, pastor and author Brian Zahnd returns to The Puddcast to discuss his new book, When Everything’s On Fire. This helpful and timely book is a sort of field guide to maintaining faith in a secular age, and so we unpacked deconstruction, modernism as a framework for secular society, Nietzsche’s predictions about the death of God, postmodernism and more. I asked Brian some very pointed questions about faith leaders espousing a faith we can’t support and why that’s led so many to deconstruction. It’s wonderful.

Order When Everything’s on Fire: Faith Forged from the Ashes by Brian Zahnd
Learn more about Brian at brianzahnd.com
Follow Brian on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

#119: The Try Softer Guided Journey (with Aundi Kolber)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 17:57:17 +0000

By popular demand, Aundi Kolber returns to The Puddcast this week. Aundi and I discuss the success and impact of Try Softer, the brand new Try Softer Guided Journey companion book, and we riff at length on Jesus’ relationship to traumatic events. Expect to learn more about how your process pain and shift into the shame-free life that God has designed you for.

Order The Try Softer Guided Journey: A Soulful Companion to Healing by Aundi Kolber
Get some great videos from Aundi on moving towards yourself in compassion and kindness
Follow Aundi on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

#118: When all you want to do is to give up (with Christine Caine)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 21:29:57 +0000

This week I am honoured to welcome Christine Caine to The Puddcast. Christine and her husband Nick founded the A21 Campaign, a global anti human trafficking organization, and Christine is a much sought-after speaker, writer and activist. We discussed how to keep our faith anchored in Jesus in the context of doing hard, exhausting work. When we know that the mission before us is costly and painful, and we are tempted to call it a day, how do we continue in faithfulness? Especially when we know that God still loves us if we tap out. Christine’s insights are hard-won and she explores them all in her latest book, How Did I Get Here?: Finding Your Way Back to God When Everything is Pulling You Away. This is my last episode for the next few months, as I head into my summer vacation.

Order How Did I Get Here?: Finding Your Way Back to God When Everything is Pulling You Away, by Christine Caine
Learn more about A21 Campaign’s mission to trafficking and slavery
Follow Christine on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

#117: Rethinking the war on drugs (with Christina Dent)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 19:15:08 +0000

Christina Dent joins me on The Puddcast this week to talk about the war on drugs. Christina is the Founder and President of End It For Good, a nonprofit advocating a health-centred approach to drugs rather than a criminal justice one. Living in Mississippi, Christina changed her own mind about how best to approach drug laws after she became a foster parent and saw the negative effects of our current approach up close. She shared powerfully with me about the real choices before us as people who claim to care about humans made in the image of God. Get ready to be challenged!

Learn more about Christina’s organization at enditforgood.com
Watch Christina’s TEDx talk on ending the war on drugs
Follow End it For Good on Instagram
Follow Christina on Twitter
Order Johann Hari’s book, Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs

For drug recovery and addiction services, in Canada and the United States, there is help!

#116: Building a better world (with Propaganda)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 14:45:19 +0000

This week on The Puddcast we welcome hip-hop artist, poet and hope-activist, Propaganda. We discussed his debut book Terraform: Building a Better World, which is a collection of poetry and prose designed to jolt your imagination and get you thinking about injustices that we all take for granted. Prop can flip between talking hip-hop, politics, coffee, church history and science fiction at will… so we had a fun time calling out things that we want to see change in the world.

Order Terraform: Building a Better World, by Propaganda.
Learn more at prophiphop.com
Listen to The Red Couch Podcast with Propaganda and Alma
Find Prop on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
Follow Prop on Instagram and Twitter

Donate to Steve Austin’s memorial fund for his family.
Order Steve Austin’s new book, Hiding in the Pews: Shining Light on Mental Illness in the Church

#115: Creating something great from what you've been given (with Justin McRoberts)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 16:51:52 +0000

This week on The Puddcast I am joined by Justin McRoberts. Justin’s focus is on helping people live generous lives that faithfully do good work in the world around them. He’s a musician, a writer, a coach, and he hosts the @Sea podcast. We talked all about the process of becoming, trying something, failing, refining your understanding of your own passions and pivoting around those things in order to create something amazing out of whatever life has handed you, all themes from his new book, It is What You Make of It: Creating Something Great from What You’ve been Given.

Order It Is What You Make of It: Creating Something Great from What You’ve Been Given by Justin McRoberts
Learn more at justinmcroberts.com
Find his music on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
Listen to his podcast, @Sea with Justin McRoberts
Follow Justin on Instagram.

#114: Embracing an authentic spiritual life (with Liz Milani)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 20 May 2021 21:14:48 +0000

Liz Milani is a writer and seeker who runs The Practice Co app and Instagram, and joins me this week to talk about daily spiritual practices that are authentic to our self of sense. We talked about leaving church when our bodies break down, deconstructing and reconfiguring our faith, and reconnecting to our bodies and a more holistic, sustainable spirituality. Liz and her husband Jesse were formerly pastors at a megachurch in Australia—we have loads in common, this was a really refreshing discussion for me personally, and there’s loads of hope and practical wisdom in here for anyone wrestling with God, church and their sense of self.

Download The Practice Co app for iOS or Android.
Learn more at thepracticeco.com
Follow The Practice Co on Instagram.
Follow Liz on Instagram.

Supporter the show and my other work, at jonathanpuddle.com/support
Order my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#113: Loving Dignity (with Heather Caliri)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 14 May 2021 15:33:39 +0000

On The Puddcast this week is writer and cartoonist, Heather Caliri. Heather’s work on finding God’s grace in awkward, uncomfortable places has been featured on ChristianityToday.com, In Touch Magazine, Fathom Magazine, Relevant Magazine.com and more. Heather shared with me how she asked the most serious questions of her faith and experienced God respond with love and dignity. That grace slowly transformed her life, and now she teaches others how to let dignity transform their lives and their most difficult relationships.

Register for Heather’s course, 30 Days to Loving Dignity
Learn more about Heather at HeatherCaliri.com
Follow Heather on Instagram and Twitter.
Bruce Kramer interview On Being
Carol Howard Merritt on The Puddcast: Forgiving the Church
Chimamanda Adichie TED Talk on The Danger of a Single Story

Become a supporter of the show on Patreon at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle.
Order my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#112: A Theology of the Ordinary (with Julie Canlis)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 07 May 2021 16:02:56 +0000

This week, theologian, lecturer and mother Julie Canlis comes to The Puddcast, to talk about ordinary, embodied holiness. Julie is the author of A Theology of the Ordinary, and we discussed how the Holy Spirit connects us to our bodies in normal, everyday ways and how the full life of Jesus transforms all of the mundane moments of our lives into sacred pathways of holiness. We even discussed John Calvin, as Julie’s framework for understanding Calvin’s beliefs goes contrary to much of what I thought I knew about Calvinism. I highly recommend this conversation to you, it is full of earthy hope and simple love for creation and life.

Order A Theology of the Ordinary
Order Calvin's Ladder: A Spiritual Theology of Ascent and Ascension
Register for the Book of Revelation course, featuring Fr. John Behr, Wm. Paul Young, Brad Jersak, Cherith Nordling, Julie Canlis and more remarkable teachers.
Learn more about Godly Play at godlyplayfoundation.org

#111: Cultivating wholeness through spiritual practice (with Lisa Colón DeLay)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 17:01:20 +0000

This week I am joined by my friend Lisa Colón DeLay to talk about the healing power of spiritual practices. Lisa begins by explaining why we should acknowledge that we live in a white-dominant culture and the importance of learning about non-white spiritual practices, especially embodiment. We discussed a rubric for identifying our core areas of trauma as well as how to move them from areas of non-awareness into conscious awareness, through spiritual practices led by the Holy Spirit. Lisa unpacks many themes from her excellent book, The Wild Land Within: Cultivating Wholeness Through Spiritual Practice, which is an excellent discipleship resource.

Order The Wild Land Within: Cultivating Wholeness Through Spiritual Practice.
Visit Lisa online at lisadelay.com
Listen to Lisa’s long-running podcast, Spark My Muse, at sparkmymuse.com
Follow Lisa on Twitter.

#110: Facing depression with saints from the past (with Diana Gruver)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 17:17:33 +0000

This week on The Puddcast we talk all about depression. Diana Gruver, author of the wonderful book, Companions in the Darkness: Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt, shares her own story with depression, and the fellowship we can find with notable Christians who have struggled just like us. Whether you suffer from clinical depression, periodic bouts of depression or you just know someone who does, there’s hope and practical advice in here for you.

Order Companions in the Darkness: Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt, by Diana Gruver.
Visit Diana online at dianagruver.com
Follow Diana on Twitter and Facebook.

#109: Why we silence women who tell the truth (with Tiffany Bluhm)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 19:30:23 +0000

This week on The Puddcast, author, speaker and podcaster Tiffany Bluhm joins us to discuss why we silence women. She unpacked the imbalance of power exposed during sexual misconduct allegations, why men are excused for their behaviour and women are blamed for it. We explored the reasons women don’t always speak up and what often happens when they do. Tiffany explained why we don’t believe those women who do speak up. All this and more, drawn from her new book, Prey Tell: Why We Silence Women Who Tell the Truth and How Everyone Can Speak Up.

Order Prey Tell: Why We Silence Women Who Tell the Truth and How Everyone Can Speak Up
Visit Tiffany online at tiffanybluhm.com
Follow Tiffany on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

#108: How Far You Have Come (with Morgan Harper Nichols)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 22:29:45 +0000

Artist and poet extraordinaire, Morgan Harper Nichols returns to The Puddcast this week. We talked all about compassionately reframing our memories of past events, a major theme in Morgan’s new book, How Far You Have Come: Musings on Beauty and Courage. Whether you’re already a fan of Morgan’s work or are discovering her for the first time, I think you’ll find beauty and encouragement to be who you are, where you are right now.

Order How Far You Have Come: Musings on Beauty and Courage, by Morgan Harper Nichols
Visit Morgan online at morganharpernichols.com
Follow Morgan on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

#107: The Life of Eugene Peterson (with Winn Collier)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 19:23:18 +0000

This week I have the great delight of discussing the life and faith of Eugene Peterson, with Winn Collier, who wrote his authorized biography. Winn has pastored for 25 years and was deeply impacted by Eugene’s work, both in The Message and in his many pastoral books. Winn now directs the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. We discussed the holy ordinary, a major theme of Eugene’s life, and we reflected on a life lived in pursuit of divine love. Expect warmth and encouragement and hope.

Order A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message by Winn Collier
Visit Winn online at winncollier.com
Follow Winn on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

#106: The Enneagram types under stress (with Ian Morgan Cron)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 19:49:04 +0000

This week we are joined by Enneagram teacher, Ian Morgan Cron. Ian is a bestselling author, psychotherapist, and host of the Typology podcast. Ian’s book, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery is one I highly recommend, and so I was thrilled to welcome Ian to the show. We talked about the doctrine of original goodness, the mystery of God in our lives, the unconscious motivations of each Enneagram type, the Enneagram types under stress, dying to the false self and more.

Order The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile
Visit Ian online at ianmorgancron.com and typologypodcast.com
Follow Ian on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

#105: What the humanity of Jesus means for our pain (with Kurt Willems)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 21:06:43 +0000

This week we are joined by Kurt Willems, to discuss how Jesus’ humanity redeems and transforms our human suffering. Kurt is a pastor, podcaster and theologian and his book is called, Echoing Hope: How the Humanity of Jesus Redeems Our Pain. Every time I speak with Kurt I find him to be this delightful blend of the academic, the pastoral, and deep spiritual formation. We talked about how Jesus meets us in our brokenness and leads us through the traumas of our life, renewing our humanity in the process. And a whole lot more, as usual!

See https://jonathanpuddle/podcast for transcripts.

Order Echoing Hope: How the Humanity of Jesus Redeems Our Pain, by Kurt Willems.
Click here to learn more about the book.
Listen to Kurt’s excellent podcast, Theology Curator.
Follow Kurt on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

#104: You are seen, heard and loved by God (with Melinda Estabrooks)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 17:45:21 +0000

This week, my guest is Melinda Estabrooks. Melinda is a Canadian television host, conference speaker and editor of the new book, “Always Know.” Melinda’s career in Canadian broadcast TV and radio spans over 20 years and while we had interacted at industry events in the past, this was the first time we really got to actually talk with one another. I asked her to share her story of being abandoned as a baby, then adopted by a Canadian family, experiencing racism growing up, depression and mental health difficulties, and even walking through a divorce while in public Christian ministry. If you’ve ever felt like God and everyone else doesn’t see you… then Melinda’s story is for you.

Order Always Know, by Melinda Estabrooks and the guests of See, Hear, Love directly from Crossroads or from Amazon.
Watch Melinda’s show at seehearlove.com
Follow Melinda on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

#103: The Great Sex Rescue (with Sheila Wray Gregoire & Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 20:20:08 +0000

This week, popular Christian sex blogger and author Sheila Wray Gregoire returns to the show with her daughter Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach to discuss their groundbreaking research on harmful Evangelical teachings about sex. Sheila explained that despite blogging and writing about sex for years, she kept hearing the same problems from people, which forced her to ask, “What if the problem is not a lack of good content but a really rotten foundation?” They conducted a survey of 22,000 Christian women to test many popular evangelical teachings about sex and see how they corresponded with women’s sexual and marital satisfaction. They also looked at the best-selling Christian marriage or sex books to see which books spread those teachings. Their findings are important and powerful, and they’re available in their new book, The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended. Content warning: contains a discussion on sexual assault in marriage, and is not appropriate for children. This interview offers hope to anyone who grew up in purity culture, or who has experienced sexual difficulties in marriage and wondered whether it was all their fault.

Order The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended, by Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach & Joanna Sawatsky
Learn more at greatsexrescue.com
Find Sheila & Rebecca’s other work at tolovehonorandvacuum.com
Follow Sheila on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Follow Rebecca on Twitter and Instagram.

#102: Introducing The Puddcast B-Side: Jesus & Trauma (with Chris Long)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 14:55:27 +0000

This week you get to enjoy a brand-new piece of content, the first Puddcast B-Side! I sat down (virtually) with my good friend Chris and we unpacked the ways that episodes 100 and 101 (the panel on Jesus & Trauma) impacted us. I also shared some behind-the-scenes discussion on how the panel came together, some challenges I faced running it and more. Going forward, I’ll be releasing a B-Side for every episode, where a friend of mine and I discuss the topics in further depth. You may also get some funny bloopers, mistakes, gotchas and various other things. It's gonna be fun!

Since this week is the very first one, I’m sharing it here publicly on The Puddcast—going forward the B-Sides will be available exclusively to my Patreon supporters. You can become a supporter for $3/month or $32/year. To sign up and gain access to The Puddcast B-side and lots of other benefits, go to patreon.com/jonathanpuddle.

Order my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#101: Panel - Jesus & Trauma Pt. 2 (with Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe, Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 16:34:28 +0000

This week we dive into the 2nd half of our panel discussion on Jesus & Trauma. Once again, my guests are Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe and Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson. Building on the discussion in the first half, where the lenses of psychology, neurology, theology, and cultural studies were applied to matters of identity, brokenness, colonialism, institutional religious structures, diversity and more, we went after forgiveness and reconciliation next. The conversation is shorter but no less robust.

Order The Pastor: A Crisis, by Paul Young & Bradley Jersak.
Learn more about Wm. Paul Young at wmpaulyoung.com.
Follow Paul on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Order Boundaries for Your Soul: How to Turn Your Overwhelming Thoughts and Feelings into Your Greatest Allies, by Alison Cook, PhD
Learn more about Alison at alisoncookphd.com.
Follow Alison on Instagram and Facebook.

Order The Brain-Based Enneagram: You are not A number by Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe.
Learn more about Jerome at drjerome.com.
Follow Jerome on Instagram and Twitter.

Learn more about Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson’s work at voicesglobalcollective.online and sageandsavant.online
Follow Ahmeda on Instagram.

Support me and my work by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle
Order my trauma-informed 30-day devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about recently on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#100: Panel - Jesus & Trauma Pt. 1 (with Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe, Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 22:56:22 +0000

Welcome to the 100th episode of The Puddcast! As I looked back over the first 3 years I realized that the intersection of Jesus & trauma formed a throughline across many conversations. I wanted to do something special and so I assembled a panel to discuss this subject. My guests are Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe and Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson. We went so deep and long that I’ve split the discussion into 2 parts, with the 2nd part coming next week. Using the lenses of psychology, neurology, theology, cultural studies, and more we look at identity, brokenness, colonialism, institutional religious structures, diversity and more. If you’ve ever wished to know precisely why it’s so hard to believe that God loves you, if you’ve wanted to understand yourself better, to know why our societies are so busted right now, why we struggle to put ourselves in other’s shoes, and more… then this is the discussion for you.

Learn more about Wm. Paul Young at wmpaulyoung.com.
Follow Paul on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Learn more about Alison Cook, Ph.D at alisoncookphd.com.
Follow Alison on Instagram and Facebook.

Learn more about Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe at drjerome.com.
Follow Jerome on Instagram and Twitter.

Learn more about Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson’s work at voicesglobalcollective.online and sageandsavant.online
Follow Ahmeda on Instagram.

#99: Highlights from the first 100 episodes (Aundi Kolber, Luke Gifford & Stephanie Tait)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 22:16:08 +0000

This week we do a bit of a retrospective and I highlight some of the most popular episodes since The Puddcast began, as well as those that were the most impactful in my own life. As promised, I also reveal the guests of my upcoming panel on Jesus + Trauma!

Inside this episode you’ll find a replay of the very first episode of The Puddcast (“God is Everywhere”) as well as clips from my interviews with Luke Gifford, Aundi Kolber and Stephanie Tait. There’s also lots of further commentary from me looking back on the first 3 years of The Puddcast. As well, tune in to hear the exciting news of what I’ll be able to do once I hit 70 Patrons!

#98: Poems of Disappointment and Discovery (with David Tensen)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 16:57:34 +0000

My guest on the show this week is poet David Tensen. Once upon a time, David was the worship director at a megachurch… then he led a large inner healing prayer ministry… then his life fell apart and he started writing poetry. David recently released his first book The Wrestle: Poems of Divine Disappointment and Discovery. We talked all about breakdown, disappointment and surprising joy. David read a few of his poems for us—if you’ve ever experienced your life falling apart then this will be a blessing for your heart’s journey.

Order The Wrestle: Poems of Divine Disappointment and Discovery by David Tensen.
Visit David online at davidtensen.com
Follow David on Instagram and Twitter.

Learn more about HeartSync inner healing.
Learn more about Elijah House inner healing.

Order my trauma-informed devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You from all retailers today.
Support me and my work at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#97: Masks of Masculinity (with Brendan Kwiatkowski)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:59:23 +0000

Brendan Kwiatkowski is a PhD candidate, researching adolescent males’ levels of emotional restriction and related pressures. I’ve loved the work that Brendan shares online and so he joined me on the show to discuss the masks that men & boys wear, trust vs vulnerability, issues of identity and sense of purpose, and the fragmentation that results from not being our true selves. If you have a male in your life, listen in.

You can learn more about Brendan and listen to his forthcoming album, Songs of Masculinity, at remasculate.org.
Follow Brendan on Instagram at re.masculate.

#96: Your God, your body and your temple

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 18:46:05 +0000

This week on The Puddcast I’m giving you 3 readings from the audiobook of You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You. I’ve included the first 3 days: Your God, Your Body and Your Temple. If you enjoy it, you can buy a copy of the full audiobook directly from my website, at jonathanpuddle.com/store. It will also be available on Audible, Apple Music, etc. in the coming weeks.

Order my new devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You from all retailers.
Support me and my work at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#95: Forgiving what you can't forget (with Lysa TerKeurst)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 19:16:53 +0000

Popular author Lysa TerKeurst returns to the show this week to catch us up on the reconciliation of her marriage and how to forgive things that can’t be forgotten. We discussed dealing honestly with grief and acknowledging pain instead of spiritual bypassing. We talked at length about forgiveness, why it’s important for our healing, and how to give forgiveness to someone who really doesn’t deserve it… and why maybe the matter of their deserving-ness is the wrong question. I highly recommend you check this out along with her new book, Forgiving What You Can’t Forget. I was moved, y’all.

Order Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again
Follow Lysa on Instagram.

Support me and my work at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle
Order my new devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You.
Find every book or resource I’ve talked about on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.

#94: Abortion, politics and God (with Maija Puddle)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 22:25:55 +0000

This week we welcome the most specialist guest ever, Maija Puddle, my better half! Maija’s undergrad was in Political Science specializing in Public Policy and her masters’ thesis (in development and cooperation) was on power and language. So in the aftermath of the US election, Maija and I had an in-depth discussion on abortion, democracy, representation, the dangers of spiritualizing politics, and how God does and doesn’t work within society to bring about change. Expect hope, fire and lots of love.

#93: Honest Advent (with Scott Erickson)

Jonathan Puddle — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 21:36:52 +0000

Scott Erickson (AKA scottthepainter) is a touring painter, visual storyteller and creative curator who I am very excited to welcome to The Puddcast this week. We discussed a number of the themes from his new Christmas book, Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-With-Us Then, Here, and Now. Specifically, we talked about honesty in the face of pain and how vulnerability itself is the doorway to connection with God. Expect a jovial, lighthearted conversation that suddenly takes a beautiful, sacred turn as Scott hits reset on our understanding of a very familiar story.

Order Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-With-Us Then, Here, and Now

Follow Scott on Twitter and Instagram.
Learn more at scottericksonart.com

#92: Religion, faith and authenticity (with Lecrae)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:59:17 +0000

It’s a great honour to welcome multi Grammy award-winning, platinum-selling artist, Lecrae, to the show. We discussed his journey of learning to live authentically as his true self within a culture that didn’t celebrate him for who he was. That journey affected his relationships, his faith, his music and more. Lecrae shared vulnerably about things the evangelical church has been unwilling to discuss, to the pain and devastation of those seeking to live whole lives with robust faith. He also explained how deeply objectification is built into Christian culture. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Lecrae and hope that you’ll check out his new album, Restoration, and his new book, I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion, But Found My Faith. Much more in the show notes below.

Order I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion, But Found My Faith
Listen to Restoration on Spotify
Watch the video series, Road to Restoration

Follow Pete on Twitter and Instagram.
Learn more at Lecrae.com.

#91: When God is silent (with Pete Greig)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:16:19 +0000

This week I’m thrilled to welcome Pete Greig, one of the founders of the 24-7 Prayer movement and author of a number of books that have deeply impacted me. My friend and pastor Amy Ryan co-hosted the discussion and we asked Pete to help us understand how to pray and how to handle the silence that often happens in response to our prayers. His answers to us were deep and powerful and his comments on the church were insightful! Make sure to grab a copy of his latest book (republished for the COVID context), God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer. It’s honestly wrecking me right now.

Order God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer.
Order Dirty Glory: Go Where Your Best Prayers Take You.
Sign up for Lectio 365, the daily devotional that Pete spoke about.
Follow Pete on Twitter and Instagram.

Listen to Amy & Adam Ryan previously on The Puddcast talking about pastoring with the Holy Spirit.

#90: Encountering the transforming presence of God (with Duncan & Kate Smith)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 21:45:24 +0000

This week on The Puddcast we welcome Duncan & Kate Smith, the leaders of the Catch The Fire movement of churches. I’ve known Duncan & Kate for many years and I asked them to share what it means to encounter the Holy Spirit and have the Spirit revolutionize your life. We took our time to get there, building up a beautiful framework for knowing God has a loving Father and taking on the life of Jesus into our own lives. If you’ve ever wondered what the deal was with those crazy Charismatics, then have a listen to this and see if you too don’t catch an excitement for the experienceable presence and tangible love of God.

You can buy Duncan’s book, Consumed By Love.
Listen to Duncan & Kate’s podcast, Into the Fire.
Follow Duncan & Kate on Facebook and Instagram.

#89: Marriage, Mayoralty + The Opioid Crisis (with Rachel + Cam Guthrie)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 19:40:11 +0000

I’m honoured to welcome to The Puddcast this week, my city’s mayor, Cam Guthrie! Cam and his wife Rachel shared some of their life story along with insights on managing hectic schedules, putting in boundaries, dealing with criticism, supporting one another’s career goals, the COVID rollercoaster and the opioid overdose crisis. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them.

Follow Cam on Twitter and Instagram, follow Rachel on Instagram.

#88: You Are Never Alone (with Max Lucado)

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 20:00:10 +0000

This week we are joined once more by Max Lucado, one of the most prolific Christian authors of our time. Max and I briefly discussed some themes from his new book, You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence and Power before we moved on to examining the intensity and pain of the moment we find ourselves in, how so many of our systems are failing us and how we desperately need help from the Holy Spirit. There’s a little something in here for everyone.

Order Max’s latest book, You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence and Power.

Follow Max on Twitter and Instagram.

#87: How to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You

Jonathan Puddle — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 22:36:41 +0000

To celebrate my book launch in a few days, you get a very special edition of The Puddcast this week where my friend Anthony McLean hosts the show and interviews me! We talked about trauma, vulnerability, courage, blackness, the importance of embodiment in our spiritual practice, performance vs identity, challenges Enneagram type 2s tend to experience, and we practiced some self-compassionate meditation together.

You can order my brand new devotional, You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You, right here.

You can learn more about Anthony McLean at anthonymclean.org

I briefly referenced the idea of not feeling safe with God. If that’s an issue for you, I talk about it at length in my devotional book, but I also discuss it in this article here.

You can support me and my work at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle
You’ll find every book or resource I’ve talked about on my Amazon storefront, in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom.