Reimagining the Good Life with Amy Julia Becker

What really makes life worth living? This season on Reimagining the Good Life, Amy Julia Becker dives into the ideas, assumptions, and cultural narratives that shape how we live. Upcoming conversations include:

• Karen Swallow Prior on calling
• Sharon Hodde Miller on self-forgetfulness
• Kelly Kapic on human limitations
• Leah Libresco Sargeant on the dignity of dependence 

If you’re curious about culture, disability, family, and fait...

This is the very first episode of my new podcast, Take the Next Step, and I’m sharing it here so you won’t miss the launch. Be sure to follow Take the Next Step with Amy Julia Becker wherever you listen so you don’t miss future episodes. (New episodes of Reimagining the Good Life are coming in October!)

Follow the new podcast at: amyjuliabecker.com/step/

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Feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of disability? Katherine Wolf, author, a...

I’m so excited to share something new with you! My new show, Take the Next Step, is a podcast for families experiencing disability—filled with real talk, real tools, and real hope. Tune in over at Take the Next Step each week for conversations with parents, therapists, and advocates about how we can cultivate belonging and build a flourishing future for the entire family.

You can find the new show by searching "Take the Next St...

When Heather Avis says she’s one of “the lucky few,” she means it. In this episode, we talk about growing up with our children with Down syndrome, what it means to delight in our kids, and how all of us can participate in shifting the narrative around disability toward love and belonging. Our conversation highlights her new children’s book, I Like You So Much, and focuses on:

• Proclaiming the worth of our children
• The role of chil...

Ambition is the air we breathe—but what is it costing us? In this episode, Amy Julia Becker and theologian Miroslav Volf discuss his latest book, The Cost of Ambition. They unpack the hidden damage of a culture obsessed with competition and invite us to imagine a new way of being, for ourselves and our society, rooted not in achievement, but in love, mutuality, and genuine abundance. They explore:  

• Striving for superiority in A...

What if the perfect family doesn’t exist—and never was supposed to? Theologian Emily McGowin, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore family life in America and what the Bible really says (and doesn’t say) about family life. They discuss:

• the idealized version of the American family
• the misconceptions surrounding a biblical blueprint for family
• creating a home centered on love, not expectations
• apprenticing ourselves to love through...

Is disability a tragedy? Is it a gift? What place is there for grief and for joy in this story of disability so many of us are living within our families? Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently portrayed disability as tragic, as something that needs to be fixed, in his comments about autism. In response, Matthew Mooney, co-founder of 99 Balloons, joins Amy Julia Becker to share a better and truer story of disability. They explore: 

• Soci...

For some of us, Christian summer camp is where we felt most at home. But for campers at white Evangelical church camps in particular, camp was also often the place to inherit an image of God—and of each other—that was incomplete at best and toxic at worst. Author Cara Meredith joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast to explore belonging, betrayal, and new beginnings as they talk about Cara's latest book, Church Camp: Bad Skits, ...

How do we redefine success, community, and family when parenting a child with disabilities? In this conversation, Amy Julia Becker and Adrian Wood, PhD, creator of the vlog Tales of an Educated Debutante and co-author of Autism Out Loud, discuss community, belonging, autism, and the ways they have grown up with their children. They explore:

• Cultural perceptions of family life with disability
• Navigating family dynamics
• Communicatio...

How does language, both careless and careful, shape our world? What's the connection between social status and the words we choose? How does technology influence our understanding of culture and control? Amy Julia Becker and special guest Andy Crouch examine these questions in a conversation about language, culture, and culture making. They also ask:

• What does the recent rise of the r-word tell us about our culture?  
• In wha...

What happens when we step into silence? Author Pico Iyer joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss his book Aflame: Learning from Silence. He reflects on his time spent in monasteries and how he grounds the ethereal idea of silence in the very earthy realities of everyday life—filled with deadlines, relationships, and the unexpected, like the wildfire that consumed his home in southern California. Pico and Amy Julia examine:

• the profoun...

When U.S. foreign aid is frozen, what happens to the people who depend on it? In this episode, Dr. Matthew Loftus and Amy Julia Becker dive into the effects of USAID cuts, including:

• The life-or-death consequences for HIV patients
• The difficult choices clinics and hospitals now face
• The political and religious divisions driving the debate
• What it means to be pro-life
• How concerned Americans can respond

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

In the work of reimagining, religion can play a significant part. What does it mean to be human? Does God exist? Is the universe good? Is there order and purpose to human life? These are the types of questions that help to shape our imagination about our individual lives and our life together. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss his latest book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. They exp...

Recent political changes and executive orders have polarized the complex conversation around diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). David M. Bailey, the Founder and CEO of Arrabon, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss: 

• the consequences of dismantling DEIA initiatives
• the implications of colorblindness and meritocracy
• the role of the church in advocating for justice
• the importance of maintaining hope and engagement am...

Is disability a tragedy? Are disabled people “inspiring”? The language we use often reveals our assumptions about disability. Carrie Hahn, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and mother, joins me on the podcast to talk about her book Beyond Inclusion: How to Raise Anti-Ableist Kids. 

Maybe you feel like our culture is too full of language police and that we should just move on to more important things. Or maybe you wor...

"Just try harder. Work harder. Think harder." But what if the key to creativity, whether that’s in our art or in the art of our daily lives, isn’t more effort but surrender? Carey Wallace, artist and author of The Discipline of Inspiration, joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about:

• How discipline and spiritual practices nurture inspiration
  
  
• The role of surrender in the creative process
  
  
• How all humans can e...

How do we attend to diverse voices in our churches and society without silencing or patronizing each other? Author and professor Esau McCaulley, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary. They talk about:

• the importance of connecting church and culture
  
  
• the insights provided by scholars from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities
  
  
• the harm caused by limiting bi...

How do we decide who has a life worth living? Author and professor emerita Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss what it means to:

• be human
  
  
• live in community
  
  
• care for one another
  
  
• navigate the complicated ethics of selective abortion
  
  
• find the language and stories to talk about a life worth living

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ADVENT DEVOTIONAL: Prepare Him Room: Advent Reflections on Wh...

Political divides don't just disappear after elections. If you long for a hopeful way forward, this conversation is for you. Pastor Corey Widmer talks with Amy Julia Becker about how to navigate political polarization with humility, love, and a commitment to Jesus' way of life.

Corey and Amy Julia discuss:

• Political engagement and identity formation
  
  
• The dangers of political idolatry and hyperindividua...