The Human Voice with Bob Hutchins: Recent Episodes
Bob Hutchins
Bob Hutchins- Digital Marketing OG, Cultural and media theorist, and Organizational Psychologist talks about all things human and restorative. Tech, Psychology, Spirituality, Change, Mental and Social Well Being.
The Funny Thing about Intelligence and Power We have spent centuries treating cognitive ability as a sacrament, using it to justify hierarchies and decide who deserves a seat at the table. But as intelligence becomes a commodity, the foundations of that power are shifting. This episode explores what happens when we stop performing expertise and start prioritizing presence.
Key Reflections The End of the Intelligence Cult: For generations, we used degrees and abstract thought as measures of human merit. If a machine can now synthesize information better than we can, the scarcity that fueled our professional hierarchies is evaporating.
From Expertise to Presence: When you no longer have to be the smartest person in the room, you are free to be the most present. AI may replicate logic, but it cannot replicate the act of seeing another person as entirely human.
The Role of the Modern Leader: Leadership is moving away from protecting proprietary knowledge and toward creating environments for collective thinking. The value lies in mentorship and empathy—skills that were never "consolation prizes" for a lower IQ, but the very things that advance the world.
A Liberating Humility: Admitting that our systems were often unfair is difficult, but it is also a relief. We can finally stop protecting our turf and start developing relationships.
Notable Quotes "When you cease hoarding information, you can begin to share understanding."
"Empathy isn't a substitute plan if your IQ is no longer valuable. Empathy is what should have been valuable all along."
"You don't have to pretend anymore. You don't have to perform genius. You can simply be a human: flawed, relational, present."
My Substack article that his originated from https://bobhutchins.substack.com/p/the-funny-thing-about-intelligence
Dr. Stephanie Bennett is a professor of communication and media ecology at Palm Beach Atlantic University. For over two decades, she has explored the "invisible architecture" of our digital lives. A fellow traveler in the tradition of Neil Postman, Dr. Bennett's work examines how our technological environment shapes the soul. She is the author of several books, including Silence, Civility, and Sanity: Hope for Humanity in a Digital Age and her newest release, Relationships on the Run.
Key Discussion Points Dr. Bennett discusses why we often flee from silence. In a culture that values infinite optimization, five seconds of quiet can feel "deathly." We fill every corner of our lives with noise—even "beautiful noise"—to avoid confronting our own interiority and the uncertainty of the soul.
A reflection on the modern "reflex" to pull out a smartphone while waiting in line. This habit eliminates "weak ties"—those small, humanizing interactions with strangers that ground us in the human race.
Phantom Silence is a term Dr. Bennett uses to describe the digital bubbles we create (like noise-canceling earbuds) that appear quiet but are actually filled with mental chatter and a constant "fire hose" of information.
The dialectic of speech and silence suggests that meaningful speech must rise from a "bed of silence." Dr. Bennett explains that without a contemplative or reflective space, our communication becomes a knee-jerk reaction rather than a thoughtful response.
While acknowledging the benefits of emerging tech like AI, the conversation touches on the danger of "subcontracting our thinking." We must move toward a "third way" that uses technology as a tool for human flourishing without amputating our essential human functions.
As the director of the Word-ship initiative, Dr. Bennett works to foster "curiosity over conviction," helping students engage in difficult conversations about politics, religion, and grief with respect and dignity.
Reflection Questions "What do we have to bring to our friendships, our spouses, or our children if we are void and empty—an echoing cavern in our soul?"
When was the last time you stood in a line or sat in an elevator without reaching for your phone?
Do you respond to others with "knee-jerk reactions," or do you allow a moment of silence to prepare a thoughtful response?
Which areas of your life have you "subcontracted" to a digital tool, and what human ability might be atrophying as a result?
Resources Mentioned Book: Silence, Civility, and Sanity: Hope for Humanity in a Digital Age
New Release: Relationships on the Run: How to Grow Authentic Connections and Lasting Intimacy in a World on the Run
Initiative: Word-ship at Palm Beach Atlantic University
Influences: Neil Postman, Max Picard (The World of Silence), and Jaron Lanier.
Episode Summary: In this episode, we move beyond the common debate of whether technology is "good" or "bad" to explore a more fundamental reality: technology is no longer just a tool we pick up; it is the environment we inhabit.
Drawing on the prophetic work of French sociologist Jacques Ellul, Bob explores how we have migrated from a natural wilderness defined by seasons and storms to a "silicon wilderness" defined by algorithms and efficiency. We look at the anxiety of the disconnected screen, the illusion of being a "user," and why the human soul-which thrives on inefficiency and imperfection-truggles to breathe in a system designed for zero error.
If we build the house, and the house eventually builds us, what kind of humans are we becoming inside this machine? And where do we find the "glitch" that proves we are still alive?
Notable Quotes:
"You can put down a hammer. You cannot put down the weather."
"We do not navigate by the stars anymore. We navigate by the blue light of the screen."
"The machine forces us to develop a mechanism of perfection. The soul thrives on the glitch."
Mentioned in this Episode:
Jacques Ellul (1912–1994): French philosopher, sociologist, and lay theologian.
The Human Voice on Substack
In this episode of The Human Voice, Bob Hutchins sits down with Baratunde Thurston—Emmy-nominated host, writer, comedian, and creator of the podcast Life With Machines. From his roots in Washington, D.C., shaped by a mother who was a computer programmer and activist, through Harvard philosophy and a decade of stand-up, Baratunde has built a career at the intersection of culture, technology, and storytelling.
Their conversation ranges from the everyday signals of progress—like coffee shop Wi-Fi and subway calls—to deeper questions about authorship, language, and governance in the age of AI. They explore what it means to share creative space with an AI collaborator, why indigenous languages reveal new possibilities for machine learning, and how democracy might draw wisdom from traditions that put nature and future generations at the center.
Baratunde also shares the simple practices that keep him grounded: meditation, meals with people, moving his body, and spending time in the natural world. Together they sketch a vision where technology doesn’t replace our humanity but presses us to return to it with more intention.
Themes
Infrastructure is culture.
Machines can help us think, but they can’t carry grief.
Language encodes imagination and culture.
Governance should begin with shared values, not with chasing releases.
Embodiment is non-negotiable for a human life.
Where to find Baratunde
Life With Machines on YouTube and podcast platforms
Website - https://www.baratunde.com/
In this episode, I step back from the hype and headlines around generative AI to reflect on something deeper: what’s actually happening to our experience of art, creativity, and meaning when machines start making things that feel human.
I draw from the work of 1930s philosopher Walter Benjamin—who never saw a chatbot or image model in his life, but somehow understood the psychological and cultural impact of machine-made creativity with stunning clarity.
- What’s lost when everything becomes a copy
- Why “aura” and authenticity still matter
- The shift from ritual to exhibition in creative work
- What the Jason Allen AI art controversy reveals about our values
- How new forms of creative labor are emerging—and what that means for writers, artists, educators, and makers
- Why transparency might matter more than purity in a world of machine collaboration
This isn’t a takedown or a celebration of AI. It’s a reflection. A pause. A reminder that we’re not just building tools—we’re reshaping what it means to be human.
If you’re a teacher, a marketer, a business leader, a parent, or just someone trying to stay grounded in a rapidly changing world—this one's for you.
Resources Mentioned:
- Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
- The 2022 Colorado State Fair AI art controversy
- Stephen Marche’s AI-assisted novella Death of an Author
- Artwork- James Allen’s - Théâtre D'opéra Spatial
Stay Connected:
Want more thoughtful takes like this? Subscribe to the Substack → https://bobhutchins.substack.com
Or find me on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/bobhutchins
Let’s keep asking better questions.
—Bob Hutchins
In this thought-provoking episode, Bob Hutchins explores a radical possibility: that we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of humanity's 500-year relationship with the written word. Drawing from media theorists Walter Ong and Harold Innis, Bob examines how generative AI might fundamentally transform not just how we communicate, but how we think and connect as human beings.
Since Gutenberg's printing press, we've been compressing the entirety of human experience into alphabetic symbols—a constraint that has both liberated and limited us. While we've become virtuosos of written expression, creating symphonies of meaning from simple letters and punctuation, we've also lost touch with the immediacy and embodied richness of oral culture.
Bob argues that AI could serve as more than just a writing assistant—it might become the bridge technology that frees us from the cognitive overhead of translating experience into symbols, allowing us to rediscover richer, more authentic forms of human communication.
Key Topics Explored The Gutenberg Legacy
- How the printing press fundamentally altered human consciousness
- The trade-offs between abstract thinking and embodied presence
- Walter Ong's insights on orality versus literacy
Media Ecology and Communication Bias
- Harold Innis's theory of communication bias
- How different media favor durability versus immediacy
- The space-biased nature of written civilization
The Translation Problem
- The cognitive burden of converting lived experience into symbols
- Why meaningful moments often "die in translation"
- The gap between what we experience and what we can express
AI as Liberation Technology
- How AI might reduce the overhead of symbolic communication
- The possibility of universal translation between experience and expression
- Moving beyond AI as writing assistant to AI as cognitive scaffolding
Post-Literate Communication
- Immersive storytelling and embodied performance
- Collaborative creation and real-time narrative improvisation
- Visual, spatial, and archetypal forms of expression
- The return to mythic and symbolic meaning-making
The Promise and the Peril
- Democratizing eloquence for those who struggle to articulate rich inner lives
- The risk of losing essential cognitive muscles developed through writing
- Questions of authenticity in AI-mediated communication
- What happens when written language becomes optional?
Two Possible Futures
- AI as bridge to richer human communication
- AI as communicative prosthetic leading to human atrophy
- The importance of conscious navigation during this transition
Key Insights "Even at their most transcendent, words remain what they've always been—ghosts of experience, shadows cast by the real thing."
"The deepest insights seem to emerge in conversation rather than through explanation, in the spaces where we're figuring something out together rather than delivering prepared thoughts."
"How we communicate shapes who we become. If we want AI to help us recover more embodied, authentic forms of expression, we need to be clear about what values we're optimizing for."
Questions for Reflection * Are we trying to become more efficient communicators or more fully human ones? * What would it mean to communicate primarily through embodied presence again? * How do we maintain authentic connection when our communications increasingly flow through AI mediators? * What practices keep us grounded in embodied experience as AI handles more symbolic communication?
About The Human Voice The Human Voice explores the intersection of technology, human flourishing, and authentic communication. Host Bob Hutchins brings together insights from media ecology, contemplative spirituality, and organizational psychology to examine how we can navigate technological change while preserving what makes us most human.
Connect with Bob * Website: http://www.humanvoicemedia.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobhutchins/
Resources Mentioned * Orality and Literacy by Walter Ong * The Bias of Communication by Harold Innis * Understanding Media by Marshall McLuhan * The Gutenberg Galaxy by Marshall McLuhan
🎧 Show Notes (The Human Voice with Bob Hutchins):
In this special episode, Bob Hutchins sits down with Dr. Tom Cooper—media ethicist, scholar, and former assistant to Marshall McLuhan—to unpack the lives and legacies of two of the most influential (and often misunderstood) thinkers in media history: Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan.
Dr. Cooper shares insights from his new book Wisdom Weavers, offering rare stories from his time at the University of Toronto, reflections on the inner lives of both men, and how their ideas help us understand our AI-saturated, media-driven world today.
We explore:
- Why Innis and McLuhan still matter in 2025
- How their contrasting backgrounds (a stoic economist vs. a poetic provocateur) converged into a shared vision
- The quiet presence of women behind their work
- What McLuhan might say about AI, selfies, and the illusion of intelligence
- How both thinkers anticipated today’s blurred line between human and machine communication
Whether you’re new to media ecology or deep in the trenches, this episode is a rich entry point to understanding the patterns behind the platforms—and why awareness, not alarm, might be our most important tool.
📚 Mentioned:
- Wisdom Weavers: The Lives and Thought of Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan by Tom Cooper
- The Toronto School of Communication
- McLuhan’s The Gutenberg Galaxy
- The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Pinocchio, and other McLuhan metaphors
- AI, ethics, and modern-day media fasts
Tom Cooper is a media scholar, author, and former assistant to Marshall McLuhan. He earned his doctorate at the University of Toronto, where he studied with leading figures in the Toronto School of Communication, and later taught media ethics for decades at Emerson College after earlier roles at Harvard.
He is the founder of the Association for Responsible Communication, which was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and previously served as an assistant speechwriter in the White House. Over his career, he authored more than ten books and 300 published articles and reviews, weaving together scholarship, ethics, and global engagement.
Cooper’s sabbatical work as a guest scholar took him to Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Stanford, Berkeley, and other leading institutions. He is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do—a reminder that his commitment to discipline and balance extended beyond the classroom.
🧠 Episode Overview: As someone who works at the intersection of AI, media psychology, and leadership, I’m not just interested in tech—I’m interested in the human behind the tech, and those who think similar.
My guest is Faisal Hoque, a three-time founder, Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, and author of the deeply timely and thoughtful book Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI. We explore what it really means—not just to be human, but to stay human—as artificial intelligence reshapes our decisions, our creativity, and our society.
This episode blends deep reflection with practical insight: from AI as mirror and partner, to frameworks for responsible experimentation, to what we must protect—and reclaim—in a world of machine intelligence.
🔍 What We Cover: * Why Faisal wrote Transcend and what “transcendence” really means in the AI era * How AI subtly rewires our language, habits, and emotional lives * What autocomplete and generative tools are teaching us about ourselves * The danger of outsourcing too much—and the power of asking better questions * The OPEN and CARE frameworks for individuals, organizations, and governments * How to “catastrophize” with wisdom, not fear * Why creativity and authenticity are making a comeback * The moral imperative of AI kill switches, regulation, and restraint * A hopeful closing: how we can lead with both care and courage
📘 Get the Book: Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI Available wherever books are sold → https://amzn.to/432sWwK
This is a read of my latest article- The Soul in the Machine: A Spiritual Reflection on Articficial Intelligence.
https://bobhutchins.substack.com/p/the-soul-in-the-machine-a-spiritual
The following reflection is taken from my latest Substack piece, The Soul in the Machine, A spiritual reflection on AI. Lately, I’ve been sitting with some deeper questions—ones that don’t always make the headlines but seem to live just beneath them. We’re in a strange, significant moment. AI is evolving fast, yes—but so are we. Or at least, we’re being invited to.
This isn’t a post about tech hype or fear. It’s about attention. Presence. What we lose or forget when we rush ahead without asking: What is all this doing to us? Not just cognitively, but spiritually, emotionally, relationally.
I wrote this as a kind of pause. A chance to reflect—not on whether machines are becoming more human, but whether we’re remembering what it means to be fully human ourselves.
Thanks for listening.
Online conversations have become a battleground—cheering certain words, booing others. Ideas and nuance are lost to labels that divide and dehumanize. When did we start trading dialogue for definitions? In "The War of Words: Why Our Labels are Destroying Our Humanity," I explore how we've replaced genuine communication with tribal jargon and reactive outrage. More than ever, it's crucial to reclaim empathy, curiosity, and humility to bridge divides rather than deepen them. The words we choose shape our world. Let's choose wisely. I honestly would really love to hear your thoughts on this. #communication #words
Christopher Summerfield, Oxford Neuroscientist & Former DeepMind Researcher Episode Summary: In this episode, I sit down with Christopher Summerfield, an Oxford neuroscientist and former DeepMind researcher who has spent his career studying how human brains work and how AI models can replicate cognitive processes. His new book, These Strange New Minds: How AI Learned to Talk and What It Means, explores the evolution of AI from early chatbots to today's advanced language models.
We discuss the key breakthroughs in AI, the parallels between human and machine reasoning, and the ethical questions surrounding AI’s role in shaping our world. If you’re curious about how AI is changing not just technology, but human thought itself—this conversation is for you.
Key Takeaways: 🔹 From Neuroscience to AI – Christopher's journey from studying human cognition to working at DeepMind was shaped by a key question: How do brains and machines process information differently?
🔹 The Transformer Revolution – The biggest breakthrough in AI’s ability to "talk" wasn’t just training on more data—it was the invention of the transformer model in 2017, which dramatically improved language understanding.
🔹 Do AI and Human Brains Work the Same? – AI can store knowledge and reason about it, but it lacks human motivation, creativity, and initiative, which are fundamental aspects of intelligence.
🔹 The Creativity Debate – Will AI enhance human creativity or dilute it? Christopher explores how generative AI is reshaping art, storytelling, and meaning-making in a world where machines can generate content.
🔹 AI’s Influence on Society – AI isn't just a tool; it’s a force that shapes human beliefs, behaviors, and decision-making. We discuss the growing concern over how AI-driven persuasion will impact advertising, politics, and workplace dynamics.
🔹 The Future of AI & AGI – Is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) just around the corner? Christopher believes we overestimate AI’s capabilities while underestimating the complexity of human cognition.
Memorable Moment: Christopher breaks down the difference between AI “hallucinations” vs. human memory—showing how confabulation in AI mirrors how people misremember events, and why truth and social norms in AI-generated content are still evolving.
Get Christopher's Book: 📖 These Strange New Minds: How AI Learned to Talk and What It Means – Available March 2024 on Amazon and major bookstores.
In this episode, I sit down with Shideh Doerr, a natural connector and networking ambassador with over 25 years in healthcare. Shideh’s journey took a turn when she co-founded JabberYak, a company designed to make networking more organic and meaningful. We explore her Persian-American roots, her transition from healthcare to entrepreneurship, and how JabberYak is revolutionizing human connection in business and education.
Key Takeaways: 🔹 The Power of Connection – Growing up in a Persian household, Shideh learned the importance of hospitality and belonging, which became the foundation of her career.
🔹 From Healthcare to Innovation – After decades in healthcare, bureaucracy stifled her creativity, leading her to co-found JabberYak, blending technology with psychology to foster real conversations.
🔹 Seven Degrees of Connection – JabberYak is based on research showing that people are most likely to connect over seven key interests. This principle powers their tech and icebreaker tools.
🔹 Bridging Social Gaps in Business & Education – From corporate conferences to university campuses, JabberYak helps introverts and extroverts alike find their tribe, reducing social anxiety and loneliness.
Connect with Shideh & Jabber Yak: 🌐 Website: www.jabberyak.com 🔗 LinkedIn: Shideh Doerr
- Guest Spotlight: David Whitesock, founder of Commonly Well and creator of the Recovery Capital Index, discusses his mission to bring data-driven insights to addiction recovery and mental health.
- From Struggle to Innovation: David shares his personal journey from addiction and incarceration to law school, leading him to develop a measurable approach to recovery.
- Beyond Sobriety Metrics: Commonly Well challenges traditional recovery models by integrating behavioral analytics, long-term strategy, and human-centered data to improve patient outcomes.
- The Wellness Industry’s Blind Spots: David highlights the need to shift mental health care upstream, focusing on early interventions instead of only treating severe cases.
- Personalization vs. Universal Principles: The conversation explores how data can drive tailored wellness strategies while maintaining a shared foundation for mental health support.
- Future of AI in Behavioral Health: David envisions AI-powered insights, wearable technology, and psycholinguistics revolutionizing how therapists and organizations support recovery.
• Connect: Learn more at commonlywell.com or find David on LinkedIn.
In his third appearance on The Human Voice, media theorist and science fiction author Paul Levinson shares a fascinating conversation about the timeless relevance of media ecology, technology’s role in human progress, and the myths surrounding information overload. Paul reflects on his seminal 1996 article On Behalf of Humanity and its argument that the issue isn’t too much information but a lack of organizational tools.
Drawing connections between historical innovations and today’s AI landscape, Paul explores the concept of “remedial media”—new technologies that solve problems created by previous ones—and how it applies to challenges like algorithmic bias and deep fakes. From his collaborations with media icons Neil Postman and Marshall McLuhan to his optimistic vision for technology as a force for good, Paul offers insights that resonate across decades.
The episode wraps up with Paul’s thoughts on techno-pessimism, the power of storytelling, and a fun recommendation for mystery fans: A Perfect Couple. He also highlights his recent alternate history book, Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles, imagining a world where John Lennon was never assassinated.
Key Topics Covered:
• Information overload vs. information organization
• Remedial media as a framework for technological progress
• AI, digital watermarks, and the future of human-machine collaboration
• Why techno-pessimism often gains more attention
• Recommendations for media and books
Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that spans history, technology, and the enduring human connection to media.
Chris Dauphin is an 18-year marketing and communications veteran, professional musician, sports fan, father, son, and human. And he's a close friend. This was a fun interview that surfaced some deep truths about life, work, and the meaning of it all. Enjoy!
Some of my thoughts from an article I wrote for my Substack Newsletter about how we are all interconnected more than we know through this thing called the internet, technology, and AI.
And we are mimicking what Obi-Wan was sensing.
“I felt a great disturbance in the Force as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.”
-Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars
This is a reading of my Substack Article-
The Lost Art of Questioning: Can AI Bring It Back? https://bobhutchins.substack.com/p/the-lost-art-of-questioning-can-ai
AI's evolving abilities highlight the humanness woven through good questions. (Prompts) As AI gets smarter, might it even start teaching us back by teaching us to ask those open-ended, thought-provoking questions that truly make us learn and grow? Here's a hopeful thought: perhaps AI can transcend mere information gathering, evolving into a catalyst for a culture that nurtures intellectual exploration. I unpack this more in my article.
Kendra Jones is a Futurist.
With a rich history in high-tech strategic operations at Apple, and a strong academic foundation from MIT and the University of Houston, Kendra blends practicality with visionary thinking. Her endeavors span from hosting a futures-centric radio show to leading the Remote Futures Research Lab. Through her consultancy, LAKA, Kendra embarks on exploring the intersections of technology, human interaction, and the uncharted waters of emerging tech, providing a nuanced perspective on the potential vistas of the future.
We talk about her origin story, her career, media insights, AI, and her personal connection to Marshall McLuhan as a child. 🤯 😀
This was a fascinating interview and one that you will want to listen to!
Alex Kantrowitz is a veteran journalist who's interviewed some of the world’s top CEOs, including Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, and Jack Dorsey. His company, Big Technology, serves more than 100,000 newsletter subscribers and tens of thousands of podcast listeners, delivering accessible news about the tech industry in weekly installments. He's also an on-air contributor at CNBC.
We discuss his journey as a tech journalist, include his time at BuzzFeed. We also discuss lessons learned, the future of tech and innovation, and why messaging apps are on the rise in popularity.
Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc is President of Southern New Hampshire University, the nation's largest nonprofit provider of online higher education. Under his leadership since 2003, SNHU has grown from 2,800 to over 220,000 learners.
He has served as Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Education and currently serves on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. An immigrant and first-generation college student himself, Dr. LeBlanc holds degrees from Framingham State, Boston College, and UMass. He directed a tech startup for Houghton Mifflin and was President of Marlboro College before coming to SNHU in 2003.
We discuss his new book, Broken: How Our Social Systems are Failing Us and How We Can Fix Them . We also talk about technology and artificial intelligence as it affects social systems.
Jon Ricketts is a man of many talents, with a back ground that includes medical devices, aviation, and tech start-ups. He has a knack for innovation and a passion for making life better, one venture at a time.
We talk about the Ai start-up world, how e-commerce is changing, and how to build a go-to-market team that is creative, unique, and effective.
Jon holds a Doctor of Law (JD) degree from Lincoln Memorial University and Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Accounting and Finance
CJ is a writer and media producer. He leads a messaging & production studio called Reculture and an award-winning kids media project called Ringbeller.
He’s had the privilege of traveling the world speaking to creative professionals at venues like Creative Mornings, TEDx, and STORY.
He’s also the author of the book- Get Weird, Discover the Surprising Secret to Making a Difference
Paul Levinson returns just in time to discuss the release of Robots through the Ages,published by Blackstone Publishing, it includes stories from some of the best writers of science fiction, both old and new. This anthology, with an introduction by Robert Silverberg, offers a sweeping survey of robots as depicted throughout literature. Paul's story, Robinson Calculator, is included in this collection.
We talk about the future of AI, should robots have rights, and what does the way we treat our technology say about us.
What if we have been focusing on the wrong things to define what’s ‘human’ and ‘normal’?
What if a shift in the definition of healthy human behavior and how time is best spent can be realized through our technology?
This in no way minimizes or re-frames my concerns that I still have about AI or screen time in general. But several things can be true at the same time, and as a tech optimist, I am hopeful we can find our way forward in better and more beneficial ways.
This is an audio version ( Me Reading) of my recent Substack post.
https://bobhutchins.substack.com/p/the-possibility-that-our-new-innovations
Karen Kelly has been a Founder, CEO and CMO in industries spanning advertising, healthcare, and technology. She is the former founder of one of Boston’s most profitable media studios and speaks regularly at marketing and entrepreneur conferences nationwide. Most recently, Karen was the President of Tapple, a mobile-first technology platform used to engage consumers and gather first-party data in the physical world. Karen has a strong interest in the intersection of psychology and technology, and the emerging phygital marketplace
Don Donahue and I talk about the genesis of our new Mastermind and Coaching program- Creative Critical Thinking: Problem Solving for the Future .
We discuss
Principles of keeping your mind creatively engaged and expansive
An active & creative brain is hard to replace In the workforce
Making your skillset & new learnings bulletproof going forward
5 Generations in the workforce, keeping relevant with a creative mind
Who is this for ?
Workers in need of a career growth/mindset shift or new career
Leaders tasked with Multi-generational staff learning styles
Marketers & creators to establish leads, new business, & new thinking
Artists considering life in the corporate world
If you are interested in signing up or learning more, please email me at Bob@Humanvoicemedia.com
This is a fascinating discussion with Paul Levinson, an American author, singer-songwriter, and professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York City. His novels, short fiction, and non-fiction works have been translated into sixteen languages. We discuss his relationship with Marshall McLuhan, time travel, Media Ecology, and why understanding the effects and power of media is so important.
-Created and Published by Human Voice Media 2023
Widely known as “Dr. Brian,” is a popular social media influencer, most prominently on TikTok. (3.4 Million Followers) His previous book, Perceptual Intelligence: The Brain’s Secret to Seeing Past Illusion, Misperception, and Self-Deception shook the worlds of neuroscience and psychology, coining the acronym PI for Perceptual Intelligence and educating countless readers on how to better understand the world around them and make better decisions. The medical director of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hills and a staff physician at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he has pioneered medical and surgical treatments that have become industry standard.Dr. Brian is one of only two influencers worldwide to be selected as a member of the Advisory Committee for Identifying Credible Sources of Health Information in Social Media for the National Academy of Medicine, Council of Medical Specialty Societies, World Health Organization. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their twin teenage daughters, who encouraged him to become a social media influencer. Which he is now with 3.4 million followers on TIK TOK!
Terrance Williams is the Founder of Meta Wellness. The company provides affordable Virtual Reality platforms for mental health professionals to conduct telehealth sessions, group sessions, and training in the metaverse.
You can learn more at https://www.metawellness.space/
Bestselling culture writer David Sax lays out the case against a false digital utopia—and for a more human future
In The Future Is Analog, David Sax points out that the onset of the pandemic instantly gave us the digital universe we'd spent so long anticipating. Instant communication, online shopping, virtual everything. It didn't take long to realize how awful it was to live in this promised future. I discuss this new reality with David and the details of his new book- The Future is Analog.
David Sax is a writer, reporter, and speaker who specializes in business and culture. His book The Revenge of Analog was a #1 Washington Post bestseller, was selected as one of Michiko Kakutani's Top Ten books of 2016 for the New York Times, and has been translated into six languages. He is also the author of three other books: Save the Deli, which won a James Beard award, The Soul of an Entrepreneur, and The Tastemakers. He lives in Toronto.
Our book is out! Our Digital Soul: Collective Anxiety, Media Trauma, and Path Toward Recovery is up on Amazon. On this episode my co-author, Jenny Black, reads the introduction.
If you want to get a copy now, here is the link
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Digital-Soul-Collective-Recovery/dp/B0BK4WYLGB/
Thank you for your support!
Jeff served as a senior leader for two national healthcare companies (one NYSE, the other privately held) overseeing marketing, internal and external communications, patient experience, growth, and brand development.
He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Possibility Place - a day program that serves intellectually and developmentally disabled adults in Middle Tennessee. Previously, he led an organization that provides dental care to underserved people in Uganda, Haiti, and the United States. He also led an organizational initiative to help build a hospital in Haiti following the earthquake and for two years took teams of clinical volunteers to provide care to underserved Haitians.
Jeff and Annette, his wife of nearly 30 years, have three grown daughters - Madison, McKenzie, and Macie. They live on a small farm on Atwood Lane, just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
Steve Turney has worked across a range of verticals, including the complex healthcare industry and within full-service marketing agencies, SaaS-based startups and the leading press release distribution firm in the country. He is the Executive Director of the Mental Health Marketing Conference.
Conference: http://www.mhmarketing.org
Dave Elitch first gained notoriety touring with the American progressive rock band The Mars Volta in 2009-2010. Since then he has lent his talents to Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, M83, The 1975, Juliette Lewis, Big Black Delta, and many others. An established LA session player, Dave has performed on various records, syncs, and film scores for major motion pictures, including “Trolls" and “Logan." He also conducts masterclass lectures worldwide and keeps a busy private teaching practice in Los Angeles. Dave has developed a reputation as the technique/body mechanic specialist and has helped many of the industry's top players and educators expand their vocabulary, overcome physical/mental barriers and get out of their own way.
Sloane and I talk about her life journey, being a health care self-advocate, and what it means to watch the evolution of digital media and communication. Sloane is a Vice President at The Freeman Company.
Andrew McLuhan is a grandson of Marshall McLuhan, noted Canadian professor from the University of Toronto who was a pioneer in the field of Media/Communications studies. Andrew’s father, Eric McLuhan, was Marshall’s eldest son, who worked with Marshall from the mid-1960s until Marshall died in 1980. This is a fascinating conversation about Marshall, Eric, and Andrew's work with the McLuhan Institute.
We discuss media, philosophy, religion, and why the "media is the message".
A former college English teacher, Brian D. McLaren was a pastor for twenty-four years. Now he’s an author, activist, public theologian, and frequent guest lecturer for gatherings in the U.S. and internationally. His work has been covered inTIME Magazine,Newsweek,USA Today,The New York Times,Washington Post,CNN, and many other media outlets. The author of more than 15 books, includingFaith After Doubt,Do I Stay Christian?, andA New Kind of Christian, he is a faculty member of The Living School at the Center for Action and Contemplation. McLaren lives in Florida.
Allyson Lewis is the founder and CEO of The 7 Minute Life. She is an author, speaker, trainer, and coach.
Her books have sold more than 130,000 copies and have been translated into Chinese, Turkish, Korean, and Spanish. Her YouTube channel has had more than 1.9 million minutes watched. Allyson is actively researching the neuroscience of happiness, productivity, and well-being in the workplace.
For the last 29 years, Allyson has spent more than 10,000 hours researching, writing, speaking, teaching, training, and coaching the philosophy, principles, and practices of The 7 Minute Life.
Allyson worked in the financial services industry for 30 years including 24 years with Morgan Stanley. Her clients include Kellogg’s, Morgan Stanley, Northern Trust, IMCA, and the FBI. She has been a guest on CNN and Bloomberg Information TV. Her work has been seen in Investor’s Business Daily, Advisor Today, Morningstar, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Sun Times, Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Success Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, and Fast Company.
Don Donahue is the Founder of MOTN Agency. He’s a 30+ year veteran of the entertainment and creative community in and around Nashville, Los Angeles, New York, and Austin. Don’s passion has always been a tastemaker, introducing talent/artists/media and messaging to the world in new and unique ways. Known as a futurist and creative producer, he sees and hears his client's needs and brings a fresh perspective and diverse view to the conversation.
For 15 years, Don was the president of Rocketown Records, a company he founded with Grammy award-winning artist Michael W. Smith. Rocketown sold over 10 million CDs over the span of its lifetime. He served as executive producer over a 2-year-long talent competition for Avon Cosmetics, working with artists from 73 different countries. Don has negotiated partnership/production deals with Live Nation, AEG, Marriott Hotels, Fort Lauderdale FL CVB, and many other corporate brands in live events, as well as marketing and messaging campaigns.
Don’s passion is found in business development with a creative slant, and he is not shy about leveraging his network for the betterment of his client’s projects. His website is at MOTNAgency.com
Jenny Black is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is also my co-author of our new book, Our Digital Soul-Collective Anxiety, Media Trauma, and a Path Forward. We discuss quotes from the book about media trauma, social media platforms, mental health, and more. You can stay up to date by going to http://www.OurDigitalSoul.com
This episode features the audio of my recent Tedx Talk with a brief intro. I have partnered with Soaak to create a 21 day program based on my talk. You can sign up for it here Growing Through Ambiguous Loss Also, if you would like to watch the Tedx Talk on Youtube Here is a Link to watch it.
Josh is the National Director of Behavioral Health & Whole Person Care, Public Sector for SAS. We talk about the state of mental health in the work place, and how modeling well being is just as important as policies within organizations.
Erika Ferszt is the founder of Moodally, providing mood management solutions for the workplace; improving employee well-being & performance. After having suffered a stress-related vision loss burnout incident in 2015 that forced her to leave her role as Global Advertising, Media & Digital Director at Ray-Ban, Erika returned to school to study the effects of stress on the mind, body & brain.
Kate O'Neill is the CEO of KO Insights, also a Keynote speaker focused on the future of human experiences amid tech & other changes at scale. We talk about her new book, A Future So Bright, How Strategic Optimism and Meaningful Innovation Can Restore Our Humanity and Save The World.
Anthony Peterson and I talk about race and empathy. A professional educator and consultant, academic clients include Harvard university and Northwestern university. His corporate clients include Nike international, the American dental association, the country music association in Dallas children's theater. Tony's 2014 TEDx talk. What I am learning from my white grandchildren, truths about race has gained more than 3.5 million views.
Ian Cron and I discuss his new book, The Story of You, An Enneagram Journey to becoming Your True Self. We discuss our own personal journeys of life and how the stories we tell ourselves become the people we are. But its never too late to re-write those stories.
Earl Hamilton is the COO of The National Center for Faith Based Initiatives. He has worked in the non profit sector, the finance sector, and in corporate operations. He lives in West Palm Beach, Florida. We discuss what it was like to go to a predominately white school growing up, and how he practices seeing things through the eyes of others who may have very different life experiences.
I get interviewed on the podcast by my old friend Daniel Brown. We discuss growing up, changes in perspective, and what it means to leave a legacy.
Jeff Goins and I talk about the intersection of Creativity, Business, Philosophy, and Spirituality- and why it matters most.
Jeff Goins is a bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, marketer, speaker, and a few other things.
He is the author of five best-selling books including The Art of Work and Real Artists Don’t Starve.
Daniel is a childhood friend that was brought up in the same religious setting as I. We discuss how we have grown, changed, and how he still holds on to his faith but also allows himself to learn and change in the midst of it. Daniel is one of those rare people that can hold certainty loosely.
"We have collectively gone through a “miscarriage” of hope the past year and half. And we are all grieving in different ways."
Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe is referred to as the "Patient Doctor" because it was his own quest for neurological wellbeing that led him to specialize in complex, unresolved neurological cases. His practice explores how functional neurology, neuroplasticity, and tools like the Enneagram can improve holistic wellbeing.
"The world revolves around change and disruption." - Jared Geesey Jared Geesey is a technologist, a digital marketer, a film distributor, an entrepreneur, and a leader. Over the last 15 years, he led the development of app ecosystems spanning from mobile to OTT streaming devices to powering major online retail / eCommerce, as well as powering an SVOD platform in South Africa. He helped pioneer social TV premieres on Facebook Live, reaching over 14 million people for one non-profit's weekly program broadcast.
In the first episode of the new name for my podcast, I talk to Jenny Black about our upcoming book! Jenny Black is the founder of Media Trauma Care. She has personally suffered from media trauma and is living proof that your phone doesn’t have to run your life. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Tennessee and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. We discuss media trauma and the intimate relationship we have with our online world.
Kristin Kobes Du Mez is Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. She holds a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics. She has written for the *Washington Post*, *NBC News*, *Religion News Service*, *Christianity Today*, and *The Daily Beast*, and has been interviewed on NPR, CBS, and the BBC, among other outlets. Her most recent book is *Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.*
Dr Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, former medical doctor specialized in psychiatry, lecturer at MIT Sloan and author of best seller ‘The Source - The secrets of the universe, the science of the brain’. She is also trustee for the Lady Garden Foundation, a charity for gynecological cancers.
I interview my oldest son, Riley Hutchins. He and his wife, Emily, live in Los Angeles. We talk about his life journey thus far, the experience of Covid lockdown, and what he wishes he could tell his younger self. This was a fun interview, to get to interview my adult offspring, and learn some things.
David Dark is a professor at Belmont University who also teaches at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. A resident of Nashville, Tennessee, he attempts to raise children and live a life of mindfulness with singer/songwriter Sarah Masen.
Steven Pressfield wrote for 27 years before he got his first novel published (The Legend of Bagger Vance). During that time he worked 21 different jobs in eleven states. Steve and I talk about the life of a creative, with references to his book- The War of Art. His new novel is called, A Man at Arms.
We also take a deep dive into the personal experience and transformation of the hero's journey and what personal transformation looks and feels like.
Jenny Black, LMFT is back again on Rumors of Grace. We talk about how media in the age of Covid, politics, and world change, can create an environment of stress, trauma, and even unconscious micro-traumas that can have devasting effects on our selves, our families, and those around us. We discuss how to recognize it, our own bias, and positive tips moving forward.
A former college English teacher, Brian D. McLaren was a pastor for twenty-four years. Now he’s an author, activist, public theologian, and frequent guest lecturer for gatherings in the U.S. and internationally. His work has been covered in TIME Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and many other media outlets. The author of more than 15 books, including Faith After Doubt, he is a faculty member of
Living School at the Center for Action and Contemplation. McLaren lives in Florida.
Megan Colleen Johnson is a life coach, creative consultant, space holder, and speaker who helps passionate humans as they rise as the leader of their own life. She is also the host of “The Reclamation Podcast”, and has over 8 years of creative marketing experience with a roster of clients including Steven Pressfield, Chris Guillebeau, Wilson Sporting Goods, and many more.
Daniel White's latest book of photography, Sacred Moments,is based on the idea of Ichi-go | Ichi-e a Japanese idiom that means “one life - one encounter that describes meetings with people. The term is often translated as “for this time only,” never again, or one chance in a lifetime.” I talk to Daniel about his life, his journies, and how these encounters with humans around the world have transformed him.
I talk to Rob Bell about his new book, Everything is Spiritual.
Rob Bell is the author of ten books, including the New York Times Bestsellers What We Talk About When We Talk About God, The Zimzum of Love, Love Wins and What Is the Bible?. His podcast, called the RobCast, was named by iTunes Best of 2015. He's been profiled in the New Yorker, toured with Oprah, and in 2011 Time Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Exciting dramatized audio book promotion.
Crisis! An explosive public meltdown. A violent incident in the psychiatric ward.
Now, the pastor stares into the abyss of his own secret shame. Before he can be free, he must confront his demons and find grace. But will he let go? Will he allow himself to be healed?
The Pastor explores the perilous human journey from self-will and striving, through defeat and despair, to hope and the redemption found only through surrender.
William Paul Young (Author of The Shack) and Brad Jersak (Author of Her Gates Will Never Be Shut) have just released a book together- The Pastor, A Crisis. Synopsis-Crisis! An explosive public meltdown. A violent incident in the psychiatric ward.
Now the Pastor stares into the abyss of his own secret shame. Before he can be free, he must confront his demons and find grace. But will he let go? Will he allow himself to be healed?
The Pastor explores the perilous human journey from self-will and striving through defeat and despair to hope and the redemption found only through surrender.
David Dark teaches at Belmont University and among the incarcerated communities of Nashville, TN. He is the author of The Possibility of America and The Sacredness of Questioning Everything. His writing appears in Paste, Pitchfork, America, & Killing the Buddha.
Aaron is a Spiritual Director, writer, and podcast host of The Reconstruction Calls. After a career in the music industry, in the mid-2000's Aaron's personal faith went through a deconstruction in the midst of the early-progressive church movement. This journey has been a part of Aaron's call to Spiritual Direction and leading faithful ragamuffins and pilgrims to find new faith experiences.
Jemar Tisby is a historian, writer, and speaker. A Graduate of Notre Dame, and RTS seminary, his first book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism was released in 2019.
Stephen James, MA, LPC-MHSP, NCC, is the founder and executive director of Sage Hill Counseling in Nashville. He also works with professionals, C-suite executives, and entrepreneurs to help them improve not only their leadership but their family lives as well. He is the bestselling author of six books, including Parenting with Heart with Chip Dodd. He and his wife, Heather, live in Nashville, Tennessee, and have four children.
His latest book is Hope in the Age of Addiction
Jared Byas is a Biblical scholar and popular podcast host of The Bible for Normal People. He has been a pastor, professor, Sunday school teacher, podcast host, author, speaker, and leader of several organizations.
We discuss his latest book, Love Matters More- How fighting to be right keeps up from living like Jesus.
Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. He is a best-selling and award-winning author, having written or edited more than twenty-five books.
We discuss his latest book- God Can't- How to Believe in God & Love after Tragedy, Abuse & Evil
Sue Monk Kidd is an award-winning and international bestselling author, she also authored The Invention of Wings and The Mermaid Chair, as well as several acclaimed memoirs, including Traveling with Pomegranates and The Dance of the Dissident Daughter. Her new novel, The Book of Longings was published on April 21, 2020.
We talk about her life, her own spiritual re-construction, and what it would be like if Jesus was married.
I talked to John Hill about what its like growing up in America in a mixed-race family. He is a race car driver, a pilot, and a new husband. John has a unique perspective and life experience as someone who has moved over 20 times in his short life and seen many things.
This an XYZ Podcast and Rumors of Grace podcast joint episode.
Dr. Brandi Kellett from Nashville, TN has an MA and Phd in Caribbean, Postcolonial, and American Studies. She speaks and writes regularly about Identity, Trauma, History, Social Justice, Spirituality, and Race. In this episode, she tells us what she has been doing for her own neighborhood. Lauren Hutchins is the co-host.
Dr. Kellett writes a blog at Expanding Your Us- https://www.expandyourus.com/
XYZ Podcast is at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/xyz-podcast/id1408048776
Alex Rhea is a young American living in China. His master’s degree is in anthropology from Qinghai University for Nationalities. His master’s thesis focused on faith healing and exorcism amongst Muslim communities in northwest China. We talk about living in China, martial arts, racism in America, faith, and many other things.
Theologian, therapist, and ordained pastor, Mark Karris, is no stranger to the deconstruction/reconstruction process. In Religious Refugees, he explores this disorienting faith-shift through the lens of cutting-edge psychological research, theology, philosophy, and, most importantly, the real-world experiences of those who are going through—and have gone through—this arduous and confusing journey.
Isiah D. Tatum is a dreamer, visionary, leader whose life’s goal is to help others discover purpose in life. Each person is born with greatness inside but has a limited amount of time to achieve that greatness. He believes the only way to tap into greatness is to serve people, overcome fear, and create the life you’ve always dreamed of obtaining. Tatum vows to die empty and leave a legacy that will inspire generations to dream. He is a Singer, Author, and Entrepreneur.
Kendall Duffie is a seasoned music producer, radio promotions executive, and the VP of D3 Entertainment Group, a Strategic Marketing, Management, Radio Promotions and Music Production company.
This is a sobering discussion about racism in America.
In this episode, I talk to Damian Rowe from the Bay Area of Californian. Damian is a writer, an artist, and creator of Boom Kid comics. We talk about his growing up in Brooklyn, his life as a creator, and his perspective on race and culture in America.
I am accompanied by Damian's close friend and my son, Riley Hutchins.
Damian's Comics can be found at https://gumroad.com/damianism
Michelle is a wife and mother to 4 grown children. She served in the US Marine Corps and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Psychology as well as additional degrees in Biblical Studies and Christian Counseling. An introvert dedicated to fitness of both body and mind, Michelle possesses the rare ability to participate in a discussion and see both sides without disparaging those with whom she might disagree. She is currently writing a book on the grief cycle applied to religious deconstruction. She is also the host of The Bookish podcast.
Matthew J. Distefano is a best-selling author, blogger, podcaster, social worker, and hip-hop artist. You can find all his work at allsetfree.com
He is the author of several books, including his most recent-Heretic.
Matthew is also a co-host of the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast and The Bonfire Sessions
Mike Morrell is the collaborating author, with Fr. Richard Rohr, on The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation, founder of Wisdom Camp, and a founding organizer of the justice, arts, and spirituality Wild Goose Festival. Mike curates contemplative and community experiences via Relational Skills and ReWilder, taking joy in holding space for the extraordinary transformation that can take place at the intersection of anticipation, imagination, and radical acceptance. Mike lives with his wife and two daughters in Asheville, North Carolina. You can read Mike’s ongoing exploration of Spirit, Culture, and Permaculture at MikeMorrell.org.
Dr. Jerome Lubbe is a functional neurologist in Atlanta, GA. We take a deep dive into the human brain, how it is being re-wired during this time of social isolation, tips on healthy practices, and how the enneagram is fluid not static. You are more than a single number!
His website is http://www.DrJerome.com
Ian Morgan Cron is a champion of the Enneagram, awakener of people, and bestselling author of the popular Enneagram book, The Road Back to You. He is also the host of the Typology Podcast. In this episode I talk to Ian about how this quarantine can accentuate our own personality issues and anxieties. He gives tips for health for each Enneagram type.
Jenny Black is the founder of Media Trauma Care. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She specializes in training and education about how mental health is impacted by our use of media. Her true work is to experience life as directly as possible and write and teach about what she learns. Links she references in this podcast :
http://refugecenter.org/liveintentionally2020/ https://www.spreaker.com/show/quarantime
I talk to Jamal Jivanjee- Author of "Living for a Living" about Mental Health during the COVID 19 pandemic. Practical tools and practical ways of thinking to incorporate into the daily rhythms of this new normal.
This is a special episode of Rumors of Grace where I asked listeners to send in what they have been going through lately in this new upside down world. They share their fears, their thoughts, their joys, and the meaning they are finding. Go to the Rumors of Grace Podcast Facebook page to connect!
After a brief introduction and update, I wanted to share another podcast that I do with my daughter, Lauren.
We wanted to give you an update on everything and discuss the world as it is right now. We would love to hear from you as well. Send us an email, video, or audio file to XYZPodcaster@gmail.com Let us know what you are experiencing and how you are managing life. We will be featuring them on our next podcast soon!
You may recognize April Hernandez Castillo from her many roles on the big and small screen, like Freedom Writers, Law & Order or Dexter. You will definitely never forget her once you’ve heard her speak.
As a survivor of domestic violence, she has become spokeswoman for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and a nationally recognized activist and social entrepreneur.
Uprooting the Poverty Mindset
In this episode, Jamal and I discuss the deep-rooted beliefs of lack vs. abundance, their source, and how to change them.
Jamal’s mission is to challenge old destructive paradigms, and introduce new empowering ones, through his coaching, writing, and speaking. He is also one of the co-hosts of the Heretic Happy Hour, and the host of the Love Cast with Jamal.
Raised on a dairy farm in the Amish and Mennonite community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Wes Yoder moved to Nashville in 1973 to work in the music business. Over the past 40 years, he launched the careers of many well-known artists and speakers. His projects have included representation of The Shack, Bonhoeffer, The Purpose Driven Life, and Mistaken Identity. He has been interviewed by The TODAY Show, NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, and The New York Times. Wes and his wife, Linda, live in Franklin, Tennessee and have two children and three grandchildren.
The Rev. Chad E. Jarnagin is a recognized musician, priest, & speaker. He is host of The Luminous Podcast as well as the Learning to BE Podcast, and the Founding Rector of Luminous Parish, an Anglican Mission to Nashville | Franklin, TN. He is an ordained priest within the Anglican Communion (via AMiA). He is also a postulant to the Rule of Saint Benedict. Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (2003-2009).
Fr. Chad’s debut book, Learning to Be: Reconstructing Peace, and Spiritual Health is in stores everywhere.
Matthew J. Korpman is a rising biblical scholar, itinerant preacher, and theological arsonist. Currently pursuing his Master of Arts in Religion at Yale Divinity School, he holds four bachelor degrees in Theology, Archaeology, Philosophy, and Screenwriting. He has traveled and excavated in Israel and Jordan, and is proud to call San Diego, California his home. With Endorsements from Brian McLaren, Pete Rollins, Brad Jersak, and many others.. This young theologian is one to watch!
Kristin in an international photographer, runs a mastermind for creatives called Dangerous Creatives Mastermind, launched an online business course for creatives. She also runs a Study Abroad Workshop and a podcast for creatives called “The Porch Cast”.
She is a single parent, and former evangelical. We discuss her journey of life, love, faith, pain, and hope.
Wm. Paul Young is the author of the worldwide bestsellers, The Shack and Cross Roads. With nearly 23 million copies sold and 49 consecutive weeks at # 1 on the New York Times Bestseller list, The Shack has inspired conversations about God around the world.
We discuss his most recent book- Lies We Believe About God.
Jenny Black is the founder of Media Trauma Care. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Tennessee and runs a private practice in Franklin. She specializes in training and education about how mental health is impacted by our use of media. Her true work is to experience life as directly as possible and write and teach about what she learns. She married her high school sweet heart 25 years ago and they are enjoying their first few months of being empty-nesters. She is the author of two books: Unwritten Travels (a self-guided discovery journal) and Inner Technology: How to be Human in a Digital World.
Ben Howard has been living at the crossroads of art, commerce, and faith for more than 25 years, having worked among a variety of companies in the entertainment industry. Ben was most recently the Executive VP of Provident Films, a company he ran since its formation in 2005. Ben departed Provident to launch Third Coast Content in 2018.
We discuss Ben's journey of life, faith, and growth.
The ReInvention of Bobby Downes: An artists evolutionary faith journey. Bobby Downes has gone from missionary, to starting ChristianCinema.com, helping co-write The Shack, making faith based films, and now walking new paths in his life journey. We discuss this evolution and where he is on this journey today.
On October 24, 2017, Michal Irvin suffered his first ever seizure. After a year of every single test imaginable, it was discovered that he has Multiple System Atrophy (MSA-P). If you can imagine Parkinson disease on steroids.
There is no cure, it is purely symptom management
Grim prognosis (4-6 years). We discuss his journey as a psychotherapist, husband, father, and now a patient.
Jerome Lubbe had his first debilitating migraine when he was 17. Since then, he’s averaged about 100 migraines per year. His life has been a journey of victory and defeat, despair and hope, faith and doubt. So he became a doctor to learn about himself.
Being a functional neurologist has shown him that the healing we once thought was impossible is actually possible.
He is also the author of WHOLE IDENTITY, A BRAIN-BASED ENNEAGRAM MODEL FOR (W)HOLISTIC HUMAN THRIVING
Traumatic Brain Injury-Finding Normal Jeff Huxford was a family medicine doctor in northwest Indiana for ten years before having to retire due to complications from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). He has since become a blogger, author, and speaker. He is the author of the book, Finding Normal. http://www.JeffHuxford.com
A spiritual teacher and author, Biet was raised by an awakened Shaman to meditate as a toddler. Signed to Sony Records at the age of nineteen, she lived the rock ‘n’ roll glam life in New York City for years, until she finally fell to pieces as a heroin addict. In rapid succession, a near death experience, the tragic deaths of her infant child and father, as well as a fire that burnt down her home, propelled her to sober up. As she moved from meltdowns to miracles, she began to teach meditation to private clients, eventually founding a one of a kind system, Center of the Cyclone™ meditation.
https://www.bietsimkin.com/
Don Francisco has been writing and recording since 1974. The son of a seminary professor, bible translator and scholar, Don has been familiar with the workings of Christianity from an early age. In 1976, he wrote the hit, "He's Alive" . Wendy also is a musician and songwriter. Together they still travel and perform together.
“Religion often applies subtle pressure to cause us to feel devalued or unworthy, and Don's songs always interrupt this and take us back to a simple and living love.”
“From cover to cover the Bibles is an argument on whether God is retributive or not.”
Austin is just your average Christian who wants to play his part in changing the world. He believes that everyone on the planet has a part to play in the family of God, and his passion is to help people find out exactly what that part is in their own life.
The discussion is about what does faith and practice look like in this ever-changing age of science, technology, and communications.
Rahim was paroled in 2015 after being locked up for 26 consecutive calendar years. While in prison, he acquired certifications from numerous educational institutions and became a leader and advocate.
He now manages the Nashville Community Bail Fund . He also founded Unheard Voices Outreach to empower formerly incarcerated persons to be leaders in reentry, community building, and to raise awareness about “felonism.”
Brady Toops' life is one of many transitions- From small-town boy, to college academic, to a semi-pro baseball player, to Nashville music artist and songwriter, to podcast host. Brady acknowledges that his life experience has one thing in common, he was always performing. I talk about this journey and the deep spaces in between.
Jeff Goins is a writer, keynote speaker, and award-winning blogger with a reputation for challenging the status quo. He is the best-selling author of five books, including The Art of Work, which landed on the best seller lists of USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, and the Washington Post.
In this episode, my daughter, Lauren Hutchins and I interview Brenda Marie Davies on the damage of purity culture. Brenda is the creator of God is Grey - a youtube channel & podcast advocating for sex-positive, LGBTQ affirming, science believing Christianity.
Doug is a certified Dale Carnegie instructor, TEDx presenter, Coach & Storyteller. He hosts a podcast about exploring spiritual topics while maintaining intellectual integrity called, "I am not your pastor". Doug lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife and children.
Jason Elam is a grateful husband, proud dad, and is captivated by Jesus. After more than 20 years of local church ministry, Jason currently hosts The Messy Spirituality Podcast and is the author of the forthcoming book, Bartenders of Grace-sharing the life and love of Jesus after deconstruction, scheduled for release in December 2019.
I talk to Jason about his life as a professional wrestler, church, family, and how his faith looks very different today than it has in the past.
Phil Drysdale, from Manchester UK, is a speaker and author dedicated to helping people who are losing faith in Christianity not necessarily lose their faith in Jesus. His simple message is that "God looks like Jesus, and so do you."
He creates free video courses helping people to redefine their faith on thegracecourse.com
Peter Enns (Ph.D. Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University (St. Davids, PA). He has taught undergraduate, seminary, and doctoral courses at numerous other schools, including Princeton Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, and Temple University. Enns speaks and writes regularly to diverse audiences about the intersection of the ancient setting of Bible and contemporary Christian faith. He is also the host of the popular podcast The Bible for Normal People, blogs at peteenns.com, and has written, edited, and contributed to over 20 books, including The Sin of Certainty, The Bible Tells Me So, and most recently How the Bible Actually Works.Enns resides in suburban Philadelphia with his wife Susan.
Dr. Brandi Kellett from Nashville, TN focuses her studies on Caribbean, Postcolonial, and American Studies. In this episode, we discuss the effects of tribalism and how to address and repair it.
Dr. Kellett writes a blog at Expanding Your Us- https://www.expandyourus.com/
Brad self-identifies as a follower of Christ. His spiritual journey includes his confession of faith and trinitarian baptism in the Baptist General Conference; followed by membership and ordination in the Conference of Mennonites in BC. Then after planting and serving in a “small-c” charismatic church plant, he was chrismated and tonsured as a Reader in the Orthodox Church (OCA).
We discuss his journey of pain, love, and healing.
Jamal Jivanjee is a best-selling author, podcaster, and life coach. A graduate of Liberty University where he studied religion, he is now passionate about helping individuals, couples, and communities become free to love.
Co-host of the Heretic Happy Hour and the LoveCast, his latest book, Living For A Living, explores how to move from a mindset of survival to an economy of love.
Scott Erickson is a touring painter, performance speaker, and creative curate who mixes autobiography, mythology, and aesthetics to create art and moments that speak to our deepest experiences.
Using his passion and commitment to craft, Scott has been a working artist for over a decade and has had his work appear on CNN, National Geographic, and various magazines, newspaper outlets, and book covers.
He is the co-author of Prayer: Forty Days of Practice and May It Be So, a Spiritual Director to brave women and men, and a professional dishwasher for his food blogging wife.
Carlos is a pastor, an activist, a communicator and a provocative preacher. He's the CEO of The Happy NPO and the author of Simply Sonship, Drop The Stones and the upcoming Proximity. Together with his wife Catherine, they have three gorgeous children. They live now in Puerto Rico where they continue relief efforts all over the Caribbean post hurricane Irma and Maria.
A grandchild of four survivors of the Holocaust, Rabbi Lebovitz is the current Rabbi of Adat Shalom in Los Angeles. Prior to the rabbinate, Rabbi Lebovitz enjoyed a 10-year career in the film industry as a writer, director, and producer. Most notably, Rabbi Lebovitz wrote and directed the 2008 suspense-thriller “Tortured,” starring Laurence Fishburne, Cole Hauser and James Cromwell.
Rabbi Lebovitz continues to make films that explore the essence of Judaism. He is the writer, director, and producer of two highly regarded documentaries: “Roadmap Genesis” and “Roadmap Jerusalem.”
David was baptized Anglican as a baby, came to faith in a Baptist church when he was a teenager, changed to Pentecostal in his late teens, married another Pentecostal named Lisa, was ordained Presbyterian, pastored a Vineyard church, and planted others.
After 30 years, in 2010 David left the professional paid clergy. He is still passionate about how people can find and follow their own spiritual path with courage and joy, as well as in how people can freely gather and form community in healthy ways.
His art, cartoons, writings and book have found their way all around the world.
Susan Charest is a published writer, artist and proud member of the Society of Children Book Writers & Illustrators. Susan has written for Magnolia, Your Williamson, Catholic365.com and blogs at Sonshineblog.com. Her whimsical art is sold locally in shops across Middle Tennessee and online at her Etsy shop - Sonshine Love. She is currently working on her memoir titled “Laniakea” where she tells of a personal encounter with God after losing their daughter, Hannah. She currently lives in Franklin with her husband, their three boys and Fenway – their sock-eating dog.
Micah Redding is the Executive Director of the Christian Transhumanist Association, and an international speaker on artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and the future of humanity. He's been featured on BBC World Radio, Wired, TEDx, Vice Motherboard, Christianity Today, Huffington Post, Slate, Inverse, Daily Beast, Institute for Ethics & Emerging Technologies, and Humanity+ Magazine. He hosts the Christian Transhumanist Podcast, where he interviews leading thinkers in religion and technology—like Kevin Kelly, NT Wright, David Deutsch, Aubrey de Grey, and "Human GMO" Liz Parrish—and organized the first Christian Transhumanist Conference, bringing together people from around the world.
Douglas Mann is an author, speaker, and part renaissance man who finds encouragement and assurance in
J. R. R. Tolkien's words, "Not all those who wander are lost."
Throughout his own personal journey, Douglas experienced life's peaks and valleys firsthand, which led him to understand that our destinies are not determined by chance, but by choice. Navigating through his personal age of discovery helped him to reframe his approach to life and shape the simple but profound guided journal, Burning Ships: Lead the Life You Were Made to Live.
I do a phone interview with Alexander John Shaia, author of Heart and Mind: The Four-Gospel Journey for Radical Transformation, also Returning from Camino.
Alexander John Shaia, Ph.D., is an educator, psychologist, spiritual director, liturgist, writer, and professional speaker. He is the founder and director of the Blue Door Retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Shaia travels internationally, lecturing and conducting workshops on the four-gospel journey of quadratos, psychotherapy, rites of passage, and Christian meditation and spirituality.
Michael Nawrocki is an American director, producer, writer, voice actor, animator, musician, puppeteer, and businessman best known as the co-creator of the long-running, series, VeggieTales where he voices Larry the Cucumber. He also voices many other main characters on the show, including Jerry Gourd, and Jean-Claude Pea, and other various characters, is the co-founder of Big Idea Entertainment alongside Phil Vischer
We talk about his life, growing up, and the genesis of Veggie Tales.
Justin McRoberts is an author, advocate, songwriter, and retreat leader. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children.
Poet and Artist, Propaganda says of Justin's new book- "The Marriage of words and image in prayer and understanding is something that has been undervalued for far too long."
We discuss life, culture, and what led him to write his latest work.
I talk to Glenn Sweitzer about his life journey and the winding road that took him from being a designer at Disney to making film documentaries. The storms and shipwrecks, to life in the sunshine, Glenn shares them all.
My longtime friend Mike Monokian and I talk about the recent loss of his wife, Clairie. His life journey, the joy, the pain, and the hope in it all.
My favorite quote from Mike- "when I lose my sense of humor I lose my way."
Keith Giles is co-host of The Heretic Happy Hour podcast. He is also the author of several books including Jesus Unbound, and Jesus Untangled. Keith is also a regular blog contributor to Patheos.
We talk about his life, his faith, and why he thinks its a must to liberate the Word of God from the Bible.
Part 2 with David P. Cassidy. We talk his art, cooking, baseball, politics, and religion. We also discuss how to overcome us vs. them thinking and acting.
His new book, Indespensible- A Guide to Christian Faith for Skeptics, Seekers, & the Saved, comes out in March 2019.
David Cassidy is the lead pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee. He has been communicating the essentials of the Christian faith in England and the United States for nearly forty years.
In this interview, David tells me his life story and talks about the struggles, the joys, and the mystery of his life and faith.
His new book, Indespensible- A Guide to Christian Faith for Skeptics, Seekers, & the Saved, comes out in March 2019.
Missy Wallace founded and leads the Nashville Institute for Faith and Work (NIFW). After over 10 years working in the corporate world, her life and family took some unexpected turns. Missy shares her life and lessons.
Isiah Tatum is a dreamer, visionary, leader, and an amazing singer! (just listen to this episode to hear him) But his childhood didn't start out like that. A broken home, sexual abuse, and using food for comfort, was Isiah's past. But you would never know it on the outside. Isiah used over-achievement to mask his pain. But one day he met his "angel" and that all began to change.
In all these things, he has found the beauty and meaning that has made him who he is today.
Rumor- a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or questionable truth.
This is Rumors of Grace- Where I talk to people rumored to have found beauty, and truth in broken and uncommon places.
My first episode kicks off with Rev. Chad Jarnagin. We Talk about faith, doubt, church, deconstruction, and what it means to be human.
Chad is a recognized musician, priest, writer, & speaker. He is host of The Luminous Podcast and the Founding Rector of Luminous Parish, an Anglican Mission to Nashville | Franklin, TN. He is also a postulant to the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Fr. Chad’s debut book, Learning To Be: Reconstructing Peace, Wonder, and Spiritual Health will release in 2019. He possesses a unique combination of talents and skills as a shepherd, catalyst, musician, and thinker. He’s a contemplative dreamer with an entrepreneurial spirit.