In Good Faith - 2024

Reverend Susan Bentley recounts her experiences with silent worship.

Reverend Dani Lee discusses different contemplative practices.

Joan and Rich Liversidge talk about their silent worship experiences.

Corinna Tanner, Sudam Mane, and Joshua Rager discuss their understanding of life after this life.

Hospice Chaplain Jewels Olsen describes sacred end of life experiences

Reverend Phyllis Spiegel on end of life care for the dying and ourselves

Marianne Bahri, author of Freed from the Frame, shares her near-death experience.

Martin Tanner of KSL's Religion Today on Near-Death Experiences

Celebrating the power of faith and belief.

Carmela Javellana from the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple on suffering and finding community.

Anne Snyder of Comment discusses public trust and Christianity's role in community and institutions.

Scott Warren from Preach Where You Reach discusses faith in the workplace.

Host Steve speaks with the enthusiastic couple, Rev. Debra and Dr. Welton Smith.

Steve Perry and Sam Wilkinson discuss evolution and religion.

In this episode of In Good Faith, Steven Kapp Perry speaks with Antonia Tomao.

Steve Kapp Perry speaks with Jon Ogden about his project, Uplift Kids.

Steven Kapp Perry and Susan Murphy talk about turning to God during harrowing trials.

Host Steve speaks with Philip Goldberg about spirituality and how it can affect our understandings of other religions.

Steve Perry, Bishop Gregory Gordon, and Father Elias Kabuk discuss attacks on Catholics in Nigeria and what we can do about it from the US.

Steve invites Corey Nathan to explain how we can have conversations with people we disagree with.

Discuss C.S. Lewis' A Grief of Observed with Steve and Ashton.

Steve Kapp Perry interviews James Early about his work in prison ministry.

This week, Steve sits down with Cassidy Hall to discuss the power of queerness and silence.

This week, Steven Kapp Perry speaks with Marcy Youngster from The Catholic Whisperer Podcast.

Steve Kapp Perry and Doug Hardy explain what a spiritual director is and how they may be useful.

Imam Shoaib Din describes the Hajj and what it means to him.

John Thatamanil discusses knowledge and mystery in multi-faith settings.

Eric Huntsman describes the importance of Seder to the historical Jesus.

Rabbi Evan Moffic explains the food symbolism of Seder

Explore the music of Passover with Cantor Sharon Brown Levy

Celebrating 2023: listen as the IGF team reviews a year of travel and amazing interviews.

A celebration of folksy, acoustic Christmas, followed by special interviews with the artists on how these sacred songs speak to them.

Host Steven Kapp Perry interviews folks in Chicago at The Parliament of the World's Religions.

Steve discusses the history of LDS converts in Turkey, starting with 19th century Armenians.

Celebrating the power of faith and belief.

In Good Faith welcomes two guests to discuss "Rumi: Studying the Sun".

Celebrating the power of faith and belief.

We explore Islam in Turkey and chat with a former Imam who founded a school to teach girls how to recite the Koran.

Steve explores the history and influence of the Hagia Sophia.

Today on In Good Faith, we're exploring–literally–ancient Christianity in Turkey

Both an influential place and a person--walk with us in Ephesus.

This week, the team visits Sardes--join our discussion on Judiasm in Turkey.

Join us as we explore Turkey--where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam meet.

Steve talks with fellow podcasters from "3 Black Men" and "Mommying While Muslim".

Steve prepares for the 2023 Parliament of World Religions by discussing interfaith service in Chicagoland and interfaith artwork.

Steve discusses love, faith, and grief with Colin Campbell and Daniela Lee

Conversations about identity and faith

A conversation on immigration, theology, and how to make a home for yourself and others in a new place.

Steve chats with two historians about the importance of ancient Christianity today.

An in-person discussion on maintaining religiosity without isolating those of other faiths.

Steve speaks with Michael Schnabel and Jonathan Rose on faith-building experiences in revelation and healing.

This week's guests counsel us to come closer to God by feeling fully and engaging in powerful music.

On interfaith relations throughout history through poetry and global projects.

Group discussion about Richard Rohr's The Universal Christ.

Guests Rainn Wilson and Brent Plate discuss the need for spirituality.

Guests Ganel-Lyn Condie and Marian Edmonds-Allen discuss responsibility and problem-solving in difficult challenges.

Guests Adela Cojab & Mariam Wahba and Asher Ashkenazi describe the importance of homeland and humanity to prevent holocaust

Lucy Bregman and Howard Wettstein discuss Christian and Jewish traditions in funerals, stories, and academia.

This week, Steve talks to Mathew Schmalz about suffering and how we might be healed by God.

A special panel discussion on “How to Talk About Religion” featuring four local clergy members.

Creating the Beloved Community

Father Angelo Te, from St. Mary by the Sea in Rockaway, OR, talks about discerning your calling in life.

Advaita Das, International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKON)

Bishop Carla Long talks about the importance of community, and how identifying core principles keeps us anchored to who we want to be.

Indra Neelameggham shares stories and traditions from her Hindu upbringing.

Renowned travel writer and guide Rick Steves shares thoughts on "The Road as Church" as he encounters various faiths around the world.

Dr. Gabriele Terrone talks about how faith and music connect us to God.

BYU student John Richardson shares what he's learned singing for a faith other than his own.

Pastors Jimi & Rickine Kestin of the Foursquare Fellowship share their ministry to feed the hungry.

Michael Dunn shares what he's learned about faith from surviving an attack from a grizzly bear

Ziauddin Yousafzai--father of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai--shares how his faith influenced his activism

We learn about the elements of Hanukkah.

Kim Swain talks about working with people whose faith differs from your own.

Rev. Sage Cole shares her conversion experience

You'll be surprised by the variety of spiritual thought and practice within Quakerism.

Pastor Oscar T. Moses on what it means to receive a call to ministry.

Jeff Olsen discusses inspiration from "the other side."

Dr. Laurie L. Patton, President of Middlebury College, talks about why interfaith relations even matter and perhaps more importantly, HOW they can work. She's a poet and writer with a warm, personal style you'll enjoy as she recounts her journey from Unitarianism to learning Sanskrit and going on pilgrimage in India, to finding her home in Judaism.

Dr. James K. A. Smith is a thinker, but that doesn’t mean he’s not willing to accept things he doesn’t completely understand. Especially when a personal conversion experience tells him there is a God who is willing to be present with us. In this interview you’ll wrestle a bit with faith and reason, about the way community can be an anchor, and choose the three pieces of art you’d take to your monastery room forever… (Originally broadcast February 5, 2020)

Dr. Ravi Gupta is a scholar of Hinduism who talks about whether becoming a scholar of your faith robs you of the joy of simply believing.

Clare Stober from Fox Hill, a Bruderhof community near Walden, NY, shares her journey from the world of business, to a life in Christian community. Yes, it is possible to create a society where there are no rich or poor, where children and elderly are welcome, and where no one lives in isolation.

Henry Bakarr, from Sierra Leone. Henry talks about finding a personal relationship with God in college, how his family survived the civil war in Sierra Leone, and why he always trusts God, even during the "exams" or trials we experience.

Harry Kraemer, Jr. from the Kellogg School of Management, and former Chairman and CEO of Baxter International, talks about faith, life balance, and the importance of self-reflection, from his book, "Your 168: Finding Purpose and Satisfaction in a Values-Based Life."

Dr. Catherine Taylor has long enjoyed exploring the histories and lives of women in scripture texts, but she's also discovered a way to fill in some of the blanks in their stories using the material culture of ancient & Medieval times--paintings, mosaics, tapestries, and everyday household objects. Together they give us an amazing larger view. This week, we turn to Dr. Taylor's research on The Annunciation to Mary.

British-born Geraldine Buckley is known nationally and even internationally as a professional storyteller who is quite open about her faith in her stories, including her tales of being the Chaplain in the largest men's prison in Maryland. In this interview she talks about how the Lord can make his desires become our own, how she's kept track of the ways God has come through on his promises, and about her own Damascus Road experience.

From her first experience of healing through prayer at age 12, Michelle Nanouche has felt called to help others heal, emotionally and spiritually as well as physically; first as a Christian Science nurse, then as a lecturer and teacher on the Christian Science Board. She talks about forgiveness and releasing anger, how she came to see herself as God sees her, and how the Lord's Prayer can be a model for our own prayers. (First aired Sunday, November 3, 2019)

New York Times no. 1 best-selling author Reza Aslan, a Sufi Muslim, talks about his journey of faith to Christianity and back again, and how we tend to create God in our own image instead of the other way around. Are we hard-wired as humans to believe? I think you'll enjoy this discussion with an author who has done a lot of thinking and research world-wide on the subject of faith in God.

Bob Greiner serves as a Deacon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, and works as an administrator at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, where he spoke with me about his faith journey through several denominations, on receiving his call to ministry at an age when most people are retired, and how he feels connected to God through service. (Originally aired 5/19/2019)

Ala'a Asarhan and Rasha Qudisat are a Jordanian couple committed to God, to each other and their children, and to education. You'll hear about Ramadan and fasting, why questioning is good, and patience to trust God's will. (Originally aired on Sunday, December 10, 2017)

House Church, with Pastor Logan Wolf Been holding your own "church" services in your house lately, like much of the world? That's actually not far from how worship was done in the early Christian world. Today Pastor Logan Wolf shares his congregation's experience in the last year of moving from traditional church worship in chapels and church buildings, to being part of the "house church" movement.f

Rev. Keith Cupples, United Methodist

Kristin Chenoweth, sharing music and conversation from "Angels Among Us," with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and the Orchestra at Temple Square.

Advent - with Dr. Eric Huntsman The earliest Christians didn't celebrate Christmas, so how has it become the holiday we know today? And how can we keep Christ at it's center? In this interview on his book, "Good Tidings of Great Joy," recorded several years ago, Dr. Eric Huntsman gives us a mix of history, facts, doctrine, and stories for every age and intellectual bent, casting new light on Mary, Joseph, and all the other familiar characters.

Larry Cesspooch was born on the Uintah & Ouray Ute Reservation in Northern Utah, where his grandmother picked him out when he was still a child as having spiritual gifts. But it wasn't until after he returned from serving in the Navy as a radioman in Vietnam that he began to take on the duties of a spiritual leader among his people in the Ute tribe. He talks about the creator, our purpose in life, and how all living things are connected.

Dr. Tala'at al-Shuqairat is a medical doctor who found himself leading worship in his local mosque when hecame to the US, since there was no one else to do it. As he studied, he found himself more and more committed to his faith, and discovered that he actually saw the differences between his religion and his culture more clearly once he had left his homeland in Jordan. In this episode he also shares a recitation of a favorite section from the Quran and how prayer and fasting improve his life.

Dr. Richard Mouw was the President of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, for 20 years, where he still teaches. He is known world-wide for extended interfaith dialogue with adherents of Islam, Catholicism, and the LDS Church, and shares why he feels that's important, and how civil conversation with those of other faith traditions can strengthen your own faith. (Also, his favorite hymn? Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.)

Chaplain (and retired Major General) Douglas L. Carver has served at every level of the Army, from Platoon to the Pentagon--ending his 38-year career serving as Chief of Chaplains. In this interview he talks about what makes a good chaplain, putting listening ahead of preaching, and about finding your "life verse" in the scriptures.

Lieutenant Colonel Ruth Segres wasn’t looking for a ministry. In fact, she was looking elsewhere, but when ministry came calling, she finally answered that call and found herself completely at home in a place she had never imagined, as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force. You’ll love her spirit, her commitment to the men and women she serves, and be inspired by her preparations for her daily walk with God among his children as a carrier of God’s presence.

Author and activist Dr. Eboo Patel is nationally and even internationally known for his interfaith work on college campuses as the founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core, but as a young man, religion was barely on his radar. Listen as we follow his path back to faith and to interfaith work, and why he feels it’s important enough to devote his life to it, and we have a panel discussion on the ideas he presents.

Whether it's in her books, her podcasts, or her online articles, Elissa Bjeletich finds ways to make her Orthodox Christian beliefs more than Sunday-only events, and to live them out with her family and in her private moments throughout the week as well.

Bob Greiner serves as a Deacon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, and works as an administrator at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, where he spoke with me about his faith journey through several denominations, on receiving his call to ministry at an age when most people are retired, and how he feels connected to God through service.

Rev. Elizabeth McVicker, Pastor at First United Methodist Church and Centenary United Methodist Church, shares her family's journey from China to Burma to the US, and how her call to ministry unfolded bit by bit. And, she'll tell us why she considers herself a "utility pastor."

Dr. Dale Coulter, Associate Professor at Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, shares his faith as a Pentecostal member of the Church of God. "I've come to the conclusion that we're shaped today by the prayers that were uttered by our ancestors 100 years ago. Not because they knew how those prayers would shape us, but because the God to whom they uttered them knew."

Mike Hampton, from Christ United Methodist, talks about the turning points in his faith journey, and the ways he sees the hand of God in his life.

Dr. Steve McKinion, from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, talks about his own turning points--including whether he'd commit himself to what he believed, and about the way real faith in God doesn't just prepare us for heaven, but teaches us how to live with each other here and now.

It was a simple childhood prayer for her father's healing from mental illness that set Leide Lessa on a path of physical and spiritual healing in her faith. She shares how God speaks to each of us in a way we can understand, and how as a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship, she does her "real job" of expressing love whether it's speaking to a group or with an individual.

At a certain point in her life, Jennifer Ristine found herself drawn to Mary Magdalene, and asking to have a heart like Mary's; faithful even to the foot of the cross. Years later she received an unexpected answer to that prayer when she found herself at the excavation of ancient Magdala. Join us as Jennifer shares her faith journey and beautiful insights from the life of a unique disciple of Jesus--Mary Magdalene.

"When the picket lines went up [to boycott stores who wouldn’t serve black people], there were white priests and nuns on the picket line and I remember seeing that and thinking that there's another way to be Christian, this is the real deal." From his origins in Mississippi, writer and teacher Danny Duncan Collum has always wanted to change the world for the better, through activism and his writing, but more than anything, through seeking the presence of God in his life.

"..If we want true friendship with God, we can't run away from the requirement that God--in kindness, in an effort to become our friend...allows us to be pushed by the vicissitudes of mortality to the extremities of experience." After twenty-plus moves, most of them international, author and activist Melissa Dalton-Bradford says that home is a concept more than a place, and that we connect to each other--whatever our religion--in the deepest places; our sorrows and our faith.

"One of the wonderful things about being a Rabbi is you get to be a part of people's stories...the joy and the sorrow." Rabbi Sam Spector speaks on learning to "see holiness" in other people, whatever their backgrounds, as fellow children of the creator. He speaks personally about visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem, and what he asks people who state a disbelief in God and in prayer.

Is Buddhism a life path, a philosophy, or a religion? The short answer is, "Yes." The longer answer is, "It depends." Joshua Hill, from the Tiep Hien Zen order shares his own path, and how he helps prisoners, addicts, and mental health patients to detach from the turmoil of a troubled mind and find peace in observing experiences, including suffering, from a quieter place. It's information and a practice we can all use, whatever our beliefs.

After all she's experienced, chaplain and counselor Emily Christensen still finds meaning in choosing faith over bitterness. She shares how she prepares to be with people under stress, and how her earliest communion with God while sitting on a swing set as a child laid the foundation for her mature belief.

Dr. Oliver Crisp is from the UK originally, but teaches at the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. In this episode he explores being both a theologian and a believer, how he's seen the hand of God in his and his family's life, and touches on the connection between the arts and religion.

“I realized that God sometimes tells us to do something, but then it doesn’t really pan out the way we think it’s going to, but then it drives us to do something else, and then it works out.” Daniel Stone's earliest experiences with God were as simple as asking to be made well from a cold, but they laid the foundation for a trust that has allowed him to be led through uncertain paths to the destination he felt drawn to all along.

Dr. Darin Davis may be the Vice President of Mission at Baylor University, but much of his spiritual energy comes from being the pastor at Blue Ridge Baptist Church near Waco, TX. He shares the moments that changed the course of his life, and tells of the "real deal Christians," like his "Grandma" Grace, who helped make them happen.

Dr. Jean Kelly, of Otterbein Unversity, calls herself a "cradle Catholic," yet it was experiences in her adult life that lead her to increased devotion. She explains finding peace through "lectio divina," or sacred reading, and tells her students who go out in the world to serve, that "if they feel a little uncomfortable, they're probably in the right place."

“Every day there are more and more kids that come to this world, and that feel enveloped by a sense of darkness, and I feel that my calling is to break through this cloud, with the light of their inner connection with God.” - Rabbi Benny Zippel Whether leading Chabad Lubavitch of Utah for over 25 years, or tending to troubled youth with Project Heart, Rabbi Benny Zippel has a sense of mission for connecting people to God and helping each person discover their inherent meaning and purpose.

More than once, Dr. Mary Lou Shea has had the rug pulled out from under her life plan, but she also knows what it's like to have God lead you to a new path; one that unexpectedly fits you to a "T."

Tami Harris' first memory of attending church was in the Utah State prison where her father was the chaplain. Becoming the first female LDS chaplain was never her plan, but it seems to have been God's plan. Hear her amazing story and some hard-won wisdom gained from serving in the trenches with youth at residential treatment centers.

Pauline Collier has always followed God’s call for her, whether it was teaching people with severe learning disabilities, or singing with a Jewish Choir in Jerusalem where she’s the assistant to the Anglican Archbishop of the Holy Lands. She also believes that God is always there, and always ready to take you back with a warm welcome if you’ve been wandering.

Michael Heil got his second chance at life during a ski accident on a mountainside; "I had shattered my femur and I was crying--I was screaming. Finally I said, 'Lord, I know that you can save me, but if you don't, then thank you.'" Hear from Pastor Michael Heil and his wife Denise about their story and the life of ministry they've partnered to form.

From his beginnings in Martin's Ferry, Ohio, to serving congregations world-wide, Pastor Blair White from The Community of Christ has seen the importance of "desert moments" that bring you closer to God, and he's learned that God can accomplish his purposes even when we think everything is going wrong.

As a shy child in communist Yugoslavia, Amir Salihovic never pictured himself leading prayers as an Imam, but as civil war broke out, he found himself driven by persecution to study more deeply the religion he was being persecuted for being a part of. Now he leads an Islamic Society of Bosniaks, where he appreciates religious freedom and teaches his community to treasure their past while becoming proud, productive Americans.

Caru Das shares his journey of enlightenment through Krishna Consciousness

Born in Britain on the eve of WWII, Josie Stone has had a life filled with faith, curiosity, family, and service in her career in nursing as well as her current position as chair of the Salt Lake Interfaith Council. She is a woman who is comfortable with mystery and talking about the big questions in life.

"You can know--without a shadow of a doubt--you can know whether you know you know you are going to heaven." That's Walter Raber, he was born to an Amish family and later became Mennonite. He'll inspire you with his infectious happy nature and his heart for serving other people.

"Sometimes the thing we resist the most is maybe the thing that we're meant to do." Pastor Scott McKinney of CenterPoint Church shares his spiritual journey and talks about the importance of community and the benefits of simply "showing up."

It was a moment of mid-life crisis, a question, and a vision for a new kind of religious work that set Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein on his current path of promoting interfaith understanding. He is the founder of the Elijah Interfaith Institute and a prolific author. In this interview he shares his thoughts and experiences, and advice for those taking their first steps into understanding others and their differing traditions and beliefs.

Harry and Debra Bonner were each mentored by people of faith, from parents and priests to parishioners, and they've followed that faith wherever it led them; as a young missionary couple in Liberia, to directing a gospel choir in the Rocky Mountains. In the second half, you'll hear Debra soloing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

From her earliest memories of the Baha'i prayer book her mother gave her, Jan Saeed has sought and found comfort and peace in prayer. She talks about the oneness of humanity and being open to listen to others with differing beliefs.

Pastor Logan Wolf from CrossPoint Church Utah talks about following God when he is leading you to do something. And what if you don’t do it? Or, what if you follow that inspiration and things don’t turn out the way you expected? And does "love your neighbor" mean, like, the actual person next door? I think you'll enjoy getting to know Pastor Logan Wolf.

Looking up at the sky on starry nights was Rev. Molly Cameron's first intimation of something mysterious, big, powerful, and spiritual. She talks about "burning bush" moments that define your life, and how faith in God is actually good for you.

Rev. Deacon Sandra Jones shares a life-long faith that blossomed into ministry in her later years, when she stopped fighting a call she'd always felt. She tells how adding a little "Mary to her Martha" added meaning to her life and let her know she was always connected to God.

Nationally-acclaimed storyteller Kim Weitkamp shares stories of her faith, spiritual gifts, and how she's learned to find the good in just about anyone.

Dr. Rodger Sorensen has spent his life in the church and in the theater. He talks about ritual--both sacred and secular--and how it can ground us and move us, dealing with friends who believe differently, and having faith to wait for the things we don't yet understand.

A Trappist monk since age 19, the Right Reverend Casimir Bernas reflects on a life of study and devotion mixed with physical labor.

Shonaleigh is an internationally recognized storyteller in the Jewish Yiddish tradition of the Drut'syla--thousands of wisdom tales passed orally from grandmother to granddaughter. You'll laugh and you'll find a little wisdom yourself as she shares her stories and her faith.

Sahar Qumsiyeh is a Palestinian Christian from near Bethlehem. She shares her journey of faith, talks about Christmas in the place of Jesus' birth, and about finding personal peace through God--separate from your circumstances.

Dr. Eric Huntsman shares his personal experience with worship--"An experience with the Divine that transforms the worshipper"--in a way that may open your mind to how you can enhance your own worship.

Ala'a Asarhan and Rasha Qudisat are a Jordanian couple committed to God, to each other and their children, and to education. You'll hear about Ramadan and fasting, why questioning is good, and patience to trust God's will.

Linda Walton is a communicator. Whether it's her communications company, her work as an interfaith chaplain, or her ongoing freeway conversations with God, she connects in a refreshingly frank way.

Dr. Brent Slife is an award-winning professor and author, who began his path from atheism to faith as a young man, when he refused to profess anything he didn't believe. Now he studies the interface of faith and science in his professional discipline of psychology, in his private counseling practice, and in his own faith life.

Pastor France Davis began his journey in Gough, Georgia, in the early days of the Civil Rights movement and marched with Dr. King in Selma. He couldn't have guessed then how God would turn a 1-year assignment into a 40-plus year ministry of faith and community in Salt Lake City.

Reverend Susan Lukens' life took an unexpected turn after a family tragedy. She talks about the journey of faith, humor as God reminding us that there is joy to be had even in pain, and of learning humility as you quietly push for change.

Mariama Kallon-Olayemi is from Sierra Leone, where she alone in her family survived the civil war. She speaks with quiet power about God's timing, about forgiveness and becoming free of the burdens of the past--even those imposed by others, and living an open-hearted life.

Can a church be Arab but not Muslim, Catholic but not Roman, and Eastern but not Orthodox? Indeed. A Greek Melkite Catholic, Father Nabil Haddad, from Amman, Jordan, is a noted peacemaker in the Middle East and around the world. He talks about pursuing peace aggressively, how he feels the call to bridge-building, and why he considers his illiterate mother the greatest theologian he's ever known.

Pritha Lal is from India; she talks about choosing Karma--the path of service, finding strength in faith at her father's passing, and living in 'blissful discontent' to experience happiness while still moving forward.

Stephen Bridge, director of the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, talks about walking the Christian walk in places where that might make you an outsider, and how he came to believe that God will never let go of us.

Shereen Salah, from Egypt, talks about the call to prayer--as a community and as a person, what helps her feel close to God, and how she's learned to thank God for hard times that led to happiness.

Rabbi Emeritus Fred Wenger talks about growing up orthodox, conservative, and reform, choosing to serve a congregation in a synagogue, and about the importance of ritual to our spiritual lives.

Pastor Mike Imperiale talks about living with the story God gave you, thinking of yourself as a forgiven person, and he sings the hymn that had a part in his religious conversion as a college student.

Dr. Julianna Boerio-Goates--retired professor of thermo-dynamics, discusses the intersection of science and faith, navigating a mixed-faith marriage, and what keeps her connected to God in her everyday life and in her service to her Catholic parish.