Give And Take

My guest today is Matt Johnson. Matt is a husband, father to two little girls, and is an armchair student of theology living in Seattle. He is also a freelance writer and editor. Until recently, Matt spent 7 years as an associate volunteer pastor in counseling and recovery ministry. He's the author of "Getting Jesus Wrong: Giving Up Spiritual Vitamins and Checklist Christianity". Special Guest: Matt Johnson.

Tom Nichols is Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College, an adjunct professor at the Harvard Extension School, and a former aide in the U.S. Senate. He is also the author of several works on foreign policy and international security affairs. His most recent book is "The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters." Special Guest: Tom Nichols .

David French is a senior writer for National Review, a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, an attorney (concentrating his practice in constitutional law and the law of armed conflict), and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is the author or co-author of several books including, most recently, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Rise of ISIS: A Threat We Can’t Ignore. Special Guest: David French.

Melissa Shoshahi is an Iranian-American stand-up comedian and writer based in Los Angeles. Performing across the country and Canada, Melissa brings her witty personality to the stage and knows no limits when it comes to comedy - culture, politics, race and gender are all fair game. Melissa also offers insight and humor regarding her unique upbringing. Melissa’s creativity and writing are showcased on Nickelodeon’s NickMom channel, her stand-up has been featured on the TV show Laughs on FOX, she is a NACA showcase artist performing at universities throughout the country, has her weekly podcast Mel Talk on iTunes and can currently be seen in the upcoming indie flick Lost in Austin. Festival credits include the San Francisco Comedy Competition, She Devil Comedy Festival in NY, Westside Comedy Competition and Desi Comedy Festival in San Francisco. Special Guest: Melissa Shoshahi.

My guest today is Jeffrey Pugh. He is the Maude Sharpe Powell Professor of Religious Studies at Elon University. He is an ordained United Methodist Minister. He joined Elon’s faculty in 1986. In 2000, he won Elon's Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2010, he was named Elon's Distinguished University Scholar.He's written numerous books, including "Religionless Christianity: Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Troubled Times". Special Guest: Jeffrey Pugh.

My guest today is R.R. Reno, editor of "First Things", a Journal of Religion and Public Life, and also an old friend. Special Guest: R.R. Reno .

My guest today is Tish Harrison Warren. She's an Anglican priest and the author of "Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practice in Everyday Life". She and her husband Jonathan (who is also an Anglican priest) live in Pittsburgh with their two young daughters in a house chock full of books with no matching forks or matching socks anywhere to be found. Special Guest: Tish Harrison Warren.

My guest is Dan Savage. He's a best selling author and sex advice columnist, a wildly popular podcaster, an Emmy winner and above all a great conversationalist. Special Guest: Dan Savage.

My guest today is Emma Green. Emma is a staff writer at ​The Atlantic, where she covers politics, policy, and religion. Special Guest: Emma Green.

Rob Bell is The New York Times bestselling author of "Love Wins", "What We Talk About When We Talk about God", and "The Zimzum of Love". You can preorder his forthcoming book "What Is The Bible?" anywhere books are sold. iTunes named his podcast, The RobCast, Best of 2015. He's also a great guy. Special Guest: Rob Bell.

Today's guest Mark Oppenheimer is the co-host of one of Scott's favorite podcasts, "Unorthodox". He's written numerous books and is an op-ed contributor to the LA Times. He's also got more daughters than Rush Limbaugh has had wives. Special Guest: Mark Oppenheimer .

My guest today is Pete Enns. Dr. Peter Enns (PhD, Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, PA. He has taught courses at several other institutions including Harvard University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary. Enns is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias, and is the author of several books, including, The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It (HarperOne), The Bible and the Believer: How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously (with Marc Brettler and Daniel Harrington, Oxford University Press), Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and The Problem of the Old Testament (Baker), and The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins (Baker). Special Guest: Pete Enns.

Today's guest is Molly Worthen. Molly is a historian whose specializes in American religious intellectual history. She also is a contributing Op-Ed writer for the NY Times. Show Notes: Below are links to two of Molly Worthen's NY Times op-ed pieces that are referenced in the conversation: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/opinion/sunday/the-evangelical-roots-of-our-post-truth-society.html?_r=0 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/opinion/sunday/stop-saying-i-feel-like.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fmolly-worthen&action=click&contentCollection=opinion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=collection Special Guest: Molly Worthen.

Today's guest is Yoojin Grace Wuertz. In her debut novel, "Everything Belongs To Us", two young women of vastly different means each struggle to find her own way during the darkest hours of South Korea’s “economic miracle” in a striking debut novel for readers of Anthony Marra and Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie. Seoul, 1978. At South Korea’s top university, the nation’s best and brightest compete to join the professional elite of an authoritarian regime. Success could lead to a life of rarefied privilege and wealth; failure means being left irrevocably behind. For childhood friends Jisun and Namin, the stakes couldn’t be more different. Jisun, the daughter of a powerful business mogul, grew up on a mountainside estate with lush gardens and a dedicated chauffeur. Namin’s parents run a tented food cart from dawn to curfew; her sister works in a shoe factory. Now Jisun wants as little to do with her father’s world as possible, abandoning her schoolwork in favor of the underground activist movement, while Namin studie

My guest today is Chavisa Woods. She's a Brooklyn based award winning literary writer. Her most recent book, "Things To Do When You're Goth In The Country & Other Stories" comes out in May of 2017.

My guest on this Easter Sunday special episode is Lilly Inman, rockstar. She's also my niece. She's 6 years old and she's awesome. Special Guest: Lilly Inman.

My guest today is Brian Durkin. He's a comedian and he's the creator and curator of www.fullbellylaughs.com. He also hosts the Full Belly Laughs podcast. Special Guest: Brian Durkin.

My guest this week is Kayla Rae Whitaker, author of The Animators. “A wildly original novel that pulses with heart and truth . . . That this powerful exploration of friendship, desire, ambition, and secrets manages to be ebullient, gripping, heartbreaking, and deeply deeply funny is a testament to Kayla Rae Whitaker’s formidable gifts. I was so sorry to reach the final page. Sharon and Mel will stay with me for a very long time.”—Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest

Give and Take is where Scott Jones interviews artists, activists, authors and a wide array of other thought leaders that help make our world the interesting place it is.