Language of God

In a time marked by rapid technological change, social fragmentation, political polarization, and declining trust in institutions, what does it mean to flourish as human beings together?

Oxford theologian Luke Bretherton helps us explore why this ancient question feels especially urgent today. Drawing on theology, history, philosophy, and his own experience studying churches and civic life around the world, Bretherton argues that we become fully human not in isolation but through relationships—and that the institutions we build play a crucial role in shaping those relationships.

The conversation explores the Christian understanding of the image of God as fundamentally relational, why modern life has created a crisis of agency and belonging, and how institutions such as churches, schools, hospitals, businesses, and governments can either cultivate or diminish our humanity. Rather than viewing institutions as obstacles to authentic living, Bretherton invites us to recover an “institutional imagination” that prioritizes purpose, character, and human connection over efficiency alone.

Along the way, Bretherton and Stump discuss the role of science in conversations about human nature, why moral questions can’t be settled by scientific analysis alone, and what practical habits can help organizations foster deeper relationships and genuine human flourishing.

This episode offers a hopeful vision for recovering our humanity—not by retreating from modern life, but by reimagining the communities and institutions through which we live it.

Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Titan Sound, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc.

After spending five days camping above the Arctic Circle in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Jim Stump reflects on an experience that reshaped how he thinks about creation, wonder, and our place within it.

Guided by the wisdom of Annie Dillard and the poetry of Mary Oliver, Jim recounts the journey from simply being there, to paying close attention, to being astonished by a landscape that refuses to revolve around human convenience. Along the way, he shares stories of endless Arctic daylight, unexpected encounters with wildlife, deep conversations around camp, and the spiritual lessons found in one of the wildest places left on Earth.

This episode explores what Scripture, wilderness, and careful observation can teach us about humility, creation care, and the practice of seeing the world as gift from God rather than merely a resource.

C.S. Lewis is remembered by many as a novelist, apologist, and literary scholar, but his reflections on science remain surprisingly relevant. Alister McGrath argues that Lewis offers a surprisingly nuanced understanding of the relationship between science, reason, imagination, and faith—one that challenges common assumptions about both scientific and Christian ways of knowing.

The conversation explores Lewis's understanding of the scientific enterprise, the role of imagination in forming and testing theories, and the historical development of science from the medieval world to the present. McGrath also considers why Lewis continues to be cited in contemporary debates over science and faith, while arguing that his views are often read out of context.

Along the way, the discussion reflects on why Lewis's ideas continue to speak into contemporary questions about science, faith, meaning, and the search for truth. Rather than treating imagination as an escape from reality, Lewis saw it as an indispensable part of discovering and understanding the world—a vision that remains both timely and compelling.

When the wind is just right, on a small beach in Titusville, Florida, horseshoe crabs crawl out of the water and onto the beach to lay their eggs. Jim and Colin joined up with two marine biologists—Bob Sluka who works with A Rocha, a Christian conservation organization and Margaret Miller, a coral biologist who works with SECORE International—and three A Rocha interns to survey the horseshoe crabs. That experience began an exploration into paying attention to many of the creatures that surround us, extending hospitality, and learning from the creatures, even from the ocean itself, about how we might better worship the creator of it all. 

Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Vesper Tapes, Klimenko Music, Evergreen, High Street Music, Magentize Music, & Sirius Music, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc.

Links and Resources:
Learn about A Rocha
Do your own nurdle hunt
Atlantic Article about Synthetic alternatives to LAL
Radiolab Episode about Horseshoe Crabs
Listen to our most recent episode about A Rocha work in Oahu, Hawaii

Octopuses and humans have been evolving separately for more than 500 million years, but still, we have a few things in common. We explore what this means about the octopus, what it means about humans, and what it tells us about the Creator of All Things. As we dive into the science of octopus cognition and behavior we find the questions get more and more interesting. To help us sort through it, we are joined by Sy Montgomery (author of Soul of an Octopus and Secrets of the Octopus) who introduced us to two giant Pacific Octopuses at the New England Aquarium. 

Thanks to the New England Aquarium for hosting our visit. 

Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Evan MacDonald, Mattijs Muller, Titan Sound, Klimenko Music, Ricky Bombino, Sirius Music, Northern Points, and Paradiso Music courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc. 

This episode originally aired on March 13, 2025