Talk with the Wise: Recent Episodes
Anderson University Department of Communications
The Talk with the Wise podcast seeks to provide a source for anyone seeking wisdom on various life issues from mature adults with a biblical perspective. Ellie Yandle is passionate about pursuing and using practical and profound wisdom to better live life to God’s glory. She talks with wise adults in her life on topics such as college life and education, dating and relationships, parenting and career, and much more.
Amanda McKinney is a homeschool mom to her four children and the co-host of two podcasts. She co-hosts with her father, comedian John Branyan, on The Comedian Next Door podcast and she co-hosts with her sisters and fellow homeschool moms on the Just Because I Love You podcast. Amanda is also a blogger and culture critic who’s not afraid to speak her mind on today's important issues. In this episode, I continue my conversation with Amanda via video chat and we consider changing the name of the podcast to “Good Stuff” podcast. We talk about the limits of public school and how if you cannot include religion in education, especially in teaching history, things do not make sense. Religion is at the core of why and how humans operate and live their lives. We discuss how making religion taboo in schools is having a negative impact on children’s mental health. As Amanda shares some of her favorite writers and speakers, she expounds on the importance of knowing who you are listening to and the philosophy (or why) behind their message.
Amanda McKinney is a homeschool mom to her four children and the co-host of two podcasts. She co-hosts with her father, comedian John Branyan, on The Comedian Next Door podcast and she co-hosts with her sisters and fellow homeschool moms on the Just Because I Love You podcast. Amanda is also a blogger and culture critic who’s not afraid to speak her mind on today's important issues. In this episode, Amanda joins us via video chat to talk about why she homeschools her children and her philosophy behind education. She holds that there is no such thing as a neutral education, that teaching any subject comes with a worldview and a set of truths. Amanda believes that education needs to be rooted in the gospel to teach children how to see the truth of God in every subject. On the subject of worldviews, we discuss the importance of a worldview that lets you examine other worldviews and that can withstand the hard and deep questions of life. Christianity is the worldview that is strong enough to let us ask those questions without being anxious.
Tiffany Brent has been teaching kids for over 20 years. When their daughter was young, Tiffany and her husband Bill started a homeschool co-op for their close friends to have a community in which to raise and school their children together. Tiffany loves teaching so much that she continues to teach various levels of history, literature, public speaking, apologetics and Bible studies to young people. In this episode I continue my phone conversation with Tiffany as she gives some practical advice for all stages of life. She encourages young people to stay in the word of God, stay in community, and watch their heart for springs of envy. Tiffany reminds us that the Lord has not given our good gifts to someone else.
Tiffany Brent has been teaching kids for over 20 years. When their daughter was young, Tiffany and her husband Bill started a homeschool co-op for their close friends to have a community in which to raise and school their children together. Tiffany loves teaching so much that she continues to teach various levels of history, literature, public speaking, apologetics and Bible studies to young people. In this episode Tiffany joins us by phone to talk about the importance of teaching the truths of the Bible and Christian theology to children, no matter their age. These truths can be seen played out in history and applied to today’s big questions. We discuss how the truths of theology lead us to doxology, even in the hard times. We reflect on God’s faithfulness and how recording specific instances of His faithfulness in our lives fills us with peace and praise to join in the chorus of Great is His faithfulness!
Dr. James Duncan is a Professor of Communication at Anderson University in South Carolina and has been teaching there for over 20 years. He teaches everything from media law to rhetoric to interpersonal communication. In this episode I continue my conversation with Dr. Duncan and this time we cover relationships, parenting, and the concept of age and vocation. We learn that it's ok and sometimes even healthy to be boring, that no one is qualified to be a parent, and that the invitation to change the world is often an invitation to leave your post.
Dr. James Duncan is a Professor of Communication at Anderson University in South Carolina and has been teaching there for over 20 years. He teaches everything from media law to rhetoric to interpersonal communication. In this episode I talk with Dr. Duncan about what being a teacher has taught him. He encourages people to never stop learning and he believes the best way to do that is to read. We discuss the many benefits and surprising perks of being a regular reader. Dr. Duncan compares the reading we do on social media to the nutritional value of a handful of Cheerios. He encourages everyone to intake a more balanced informational diet, including some long form reading… or steak, if you will.