In Good Faith

Here's a bonus episode for our podcast listeners: a feed drop from Meli Solomon's Living Our Beliefs podcast. Meli hosted a multi-faith panel discussion on religious weddings, which she taped in the In Good Faith studios with Steve in October 2024. We thought our listeners would enjoy this discussion between Jewish, Muslim, Bahai, and Latter-day Saint guests. You can check out Meli's show here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-our-beliefs-exploring-faith-religion-in-daily-life/id1585683129

A special episode for our podcast listeners! Steve speaks with Manuela Oja de Tzep, a native K’iché from Nahuala, Solola Guatemala, and Malcolm Botto, Associate Director of International Study Programs K’iché instructor at BYU, about their experience with the Popol Vuh. They're also joined by Malcolm Botto, the Associate Director of International Study Programs at BYU. He has also taught K’iché at BYU for over 15 years. He holds a BA in Lingusitcs and Anthropology and a Masters in Mass Communication and Media Studies from BYU.

Allen Christenson shares his experience translating the Popol Vuh, a sacred Mayan text. Allen Christenson is a Professor in the Department of Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature at Brigham Young University. He is the translator of Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya. He completed a PhD in Pre-Columbian Art History at the University of Texas, Austin. He has worked as an ethnographer and linguist in highland Guatemala since 1978, principally with the K’iché-Maya and Tz’utujil-Maya.

John Canti has translated sacred Buddhist texts for most of his life. He is a founding member of the Padmakara Translation Group, a Tsadra Foundation Fellow from 2001-2012, and was awarded the 2016 Khyentse Foundation Fellowship. In 2009, he was appointed editorial chair of www.84000.co, a translation and publication venture for the Tibetan Buddhist canon, and became senior editor in 2023.

Rev. Dr. John F. Ross discusses the Saint John's Bible, sacred art, and religious imagination. He is the Executive Director of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Program at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He has also served as a United Church of Christ (UCC) pastor for 30 years. The Saint John’s Bible is the first handwritten, illuminated Bible in more than 500 years and includes more than 160 original illuminations. The Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible is the only full-size, illuminated, fine art edition that will ever be produced. In all, only 299 seven-volume sets have been created. The Heritage Program is an international initiative for individuals and institutions to explore the artistic and spiritual beauty of The Saint John’s Bible. Learn how this sacred art can be enjoyed in your community now and for generations to come. Please contact Rev. Dr. Ross at jross001@csbsju.edu or by calling 320-363-3209.

Tremper Longman shares the process of translating the Bible and how his conversion to Christianity as a young man. Dr. Tremper Longman is a Senior Translator of the New Living Translation. He has written over thirty-five books include Confronting Old Testament Controversies: Pressing Questions about Evolution, Sexuality, History and Violence. He is also Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College.

Chandra DeNap Whetstine shares how her international work led her home to make peace in the US. Chandra DeNap Whetstine is the Chief Operating Officer at the One America Movement, a national organization building a united American society by eliminating toxic polarization. She is currently a seminarian at Wesley Theological Seminary.

Rabbi Jack talks about how Jewish tradition centers on the home and family. Rabbi Jack Abramowitz, MS Ed, is a writer, editor and educator whose experience in Jewish outreach and informal education spans four decades. He has served in a number of capacities at the Orthodox Union, including a decade as a director of National Programs for NCSY, the organization’s youth movement. He also serves as Educational Correspondent for the website Jew in the City. He is the author of nine books, including The God Book, The Complete Targum Onkelos, and Ask Rabbi Jack.

Greta Bennett shares how she talks to Jesus and what she learned about God while caring for her mother with Alzheimers. Greta L. Bennett is a retired Lieutenant Colonel serving with distinction as a Medical Logistics Officer in the US Army for thirty years. She is a doctoral student in Public Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. At one time, she produced over 100 episodes of the Caregiving is a Ministry podcast, inspired by her experience with her mother.

Emily McGowin discusses how to build a Household of Faith and what that process looked like in her own life. The Rev. Dr. Emily McGowin is associate professor of theology at Wheaton College. She is also a priest in the Anglican diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO). Her latest book, Households of Faith: Practicing Family in the Kingdom of God is now available from IVP. Dr. McGowin earned a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Dayton, M.Div. from Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, and a B.A. in biblical studies from Criswell College.

Maggie Siddiqi shares her experiences working in various governmental and faith-based community roles, emphasizing the strategic and moral necessity of cross-faith partnerships. Maggie Siddiqi is senior fellow at Interfaith Alliance. She recently concluded her appointment to the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Education, where she served as Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration, Maggie Siddiqi served as senior director of the Religion and Faith team at the Center for American Progress, where she led the organization’s work on religious liberty.

John Kasich talks about on unifying Americans rather than dividing them and championing the great potential of our citizens to make positive impacts in their own communities. John Kasich served as the 69th governor of Ohio and ran for President during the 2016 GOP primary. Today, he runs the Kasich Company and serves as a political analyst for NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC. He is the author of four New York Times bestsellers; his most recent book is Heaven Help Us.

Jeff Renner discusses covering the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and its profound impact on his faith and life. Jeff Renner is a nine-time Emmy award winner, having served as science journalist, documentary producer and Chief Meteorologist at Seattle’s KING Television for 39 years. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society and the Society of Environmental Journalists. He is executive producer and host of the television program, Challenge 2.0, available as a podcast.

Rev. Dr. David Latimore shares his transition from a successful career in investment management to a calling in theology and ministry. Rev. Dr. Latimore is the Director of the Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary. His teaching and research interests focus on the intersection of religion, race, and economic justice. Before Princeton, Latimore served as senior pastor at Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church in Nashville and was associate director for the Academy of Preachers. He has pastored three other congregations, in Joliet, Illinois; Gainesville, Florida; and St. Louis, Missouri. He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago, his DMin from McCormick Theological Seminary, his MDiv from Duke Divinity School, and his AB from Harvard University. Before attending seminary, Latimore had a successful career in investment management and economic development.

Dr. Hooman Keshavarzi is a psychologist who is rediscovering Islamic thought from centuries ago to help solve mental health challenges about loneliness and despair today. Hooman Keshavarzi is a licensed clinical psychologist with a Doctorate and Masters in Clinical Psychology and a minor in Islamic Studies. He currently serves as the program director for the Masters in Counseling Islamic Psychology Program in Doha, Qatar. He is the founding director of Khalil Center--the first Islamically-oriented professional community mental wellness center and largest provider of Muslim mental healthcare in North America.

Deanna Ebbert shares how faith & good psychological practice support each other as we learn to hear God's voice over our lifetime. Deanna Ebbert is a Life Coach who studied Psychology at Brigham Young University. She has a life-long passion for the brain and has spent many hours coaching people through life’s challenges.

Chris Stevenson joins Steve in-studio to discuss the National Museum of American religion, and what religion has done to American and America has done to religion. Check out the museum here: https://www.nmar.org/ Chris Stevenson is the co-founder and president of digital-first National Museum of American Religion (NMAR) and the host of the museum's podcast "Religion in the American Experience." He is also the founder of America’s Quilt of Faith, which champion the indispensability of virtue and religion to the American experiment in self-government.

Brian Grim shares his calling to be a missionary when he was only 4-years-old and how that eventually led him to Catholicism, but also a life as an educator in the former Soviet Union, China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe from 1982-2002. Eventually his research in economics reveals that religious freedom is good for business. Brian J. Grim, Ph. D. (Penn State), is the founding president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and works with Fortune 500 companies to include religion and belief as part of their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Ayesha Daya tells Steve about her experience in learning more about her Ismaili heritage and starting the Muslim Footprints podcast. Learn about prayer, communal worship, and more from this amazing guest! Ayesha Daya is the founder of Kalima, a Dubai-based communications and content creation agency. In 2023 Ayesha launched the Muslim Footprints podcast, in association with the Ismaili community. Previously, Ayesha worked as the Middle East Energy correspondent for Bloomberg News and Dow Jones Newswires.

Janette Ok tells us about the recently released The New Testament In Color, a massive project involving numerous academics and perspectives. She teaches us that, when we view the scriptures through the lens of culture, we can make these sacred texts more colorful and find more application in our lives. Janette H. Ok serves as Associate Professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary, where she has guest-hosted "Centering: The Asian American Christian Podcast." Her most recent book is the co-edited volume The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Biblical Commentary (IVP Academic, 2024). Janette is an ordained pastor and preacher with over 25 years of ministry experience.