The Echoes Podcast

After nearly two seasons of conversations with thinkers, writers, artists, and scholars, Marcus and Camille take time to reflect on the ideas they can't stop thinking about. From mental health and human connection to AI, addiction, and the future of community, this episode explores the themes that have echoed long after the microphones were turned off. It's a candid look at what they've learned, what has challenged them, and what t...

Summary 

We all hide. We hide from God, from each other, and even from ourselves — and it turns out that's not just a spiritual problem. It's a brain problem. In this episode, psychiatrist and author Dr. Curt Thompson joins Marcus Goodyear and Camille Hall-Ortega to explore what neuroscience and Christian spiritual formation have to say to each other about shame, community, and the human longing to be fully known. 

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When suffering silences us, where do we turn? Drawing from his forthcoming book And the Sea Was No More, biblical scholar, professor, and author, Dave Nienhuis Nienhuis reflects on suffering, community, and the “victory narrative” that can keep us from telling the truth. This conversation is a powerful look at how God meets us in chaos and how faith makes room for struggle and vulnerability.

Show Notes: 

What if addiction isn’t just about substances—but about the human soul? 

In this episode of The Echoes Podcast, Marcus Goodyear and Camille Hall-Ortega sit down with bestselling author, Episcopal priest, psychotherapist, and Enneagram teacher Ian Morgan Cron to explore a surprising and deeply human idea: we are all addicts. Drawing from his latest book, The Fix, Ian reframes addiction as a misdirected longing—...

Summary 

Largely due to technology, many of us feel more connected than ever—but we also feel less known than ever. In this episode, Andy Crouch talks with us about AI, anxiety, loneliness, and what technology can never replace. Drawing on The Life We’re Looking For, Andy explores why “formation requires friction” and why real hope begins with recovering a more personal, relational, and loving way of lif...

Movies don’t just entertain us—they train our imaginations. In this episode, New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson helps us think about Hollywood, media, AI, and the stories shaping our shared reality. It’s a thoughtful conversation about truth, criticism, and how to choose better narratives in a fractured age.

In this episode

• Hollywood is an American “dream machine”
• Movies shape both personal i...

In this episode, New York Times bestselling children’s author Sally Lloyd-Jones discusses storytelling, faith, and rediscovering childlike wonder. Drawing from her books, including The Jesus Storybook Bible and Jesus, Our True Friend, Sally helps us explore themes of friendship, trust in God’s presence, and the freedom that comes from approaching faith like a child, allowing space for awe, imagination, and grace. 

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SUMMARY: 

Physician and medical ethicist Dr. Lydia Dugdale (Columbia University) argues hope isn’t a careless wish—it’s a practiced habit oriented toward a future good that’s hard but possible. We talk about hope as a communal discipline, the dangers on both sides—despair and false hope—how doctors actually handle prognoses, why imagination relates to hope, and whether “AI grief avatars...

“I love being old.” That comment from a woman in her late 80s stuck with Mark D. Roberts. Today he helps people think about how to flourish in the “third third” of life. In this episode of The Echoes Podcast, we cover why relationships at 20–50 shape our health at 80, what the U.S. Surgeon General calls the loneliness epidemic, how churches can foster intergenerational community, when moving in your 60...

 A frank talk about fathers—what we inherit, what we can repair, and how faith communities help (or don’t). Patton Dodd, author of The Father You Get, shares the story behind his new memoir and the “father hunger” that shaped him. We discuss money and manhood and honest family conversations. The Father You Get released in 2025 and is available in print, audio, and at your local bookstore. 

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This summer, devastating floods struck Central Texas, leaving families, camps, and entire communities grieving and in shock. In response, the Echoes team hosted two live webinars to support parents, educators, and caregivers facing an urgent question: How do we help our kids cope with something like this?

In this season one finale, we share highlights from those gatherings—including two heartfelt conversations with tra...

We live in a difficult time. People have their opinions about how to solve problems, but distrust runs deep. People make promises—especially our politicians—but they can’t always deliver on those promises. In our season one finale, bestselling author and columnist David Brooks joins The Echoes Podcast to explore what’s really missing—and how we might find it again. Brooks helps us see that what’s...

What does it mean to create something beautiful—not despite our limitations, but because of them? We talk with bestselling author and artist Austin Kleon about creativity as resistance, the tension between process and product, and the courage to show our work. From crushed oyster shells to pink conchas, from ancient nun rhythms to the modern grind, this episode reminds us that creativity is not about abundance—it’...

Do “kids these days” have you scratching your head? You’re not alone. In this episode, Dr. Crystal Kirgiss joins Camille Hall-Ortega and Marcus Goodyear to explore the ancient roots of adolescence, the unchanging traits of teenagers across time, and why understanding young adults has more to do with showing up than keeping up with trends. Whether you're a parent, a mentor, or just someone who wants to support the ...

Sister Pearl Ceasar has a remarkable journey from classroom teacher to nonpartisan community organizer. Guided by her deep faith and commitment to justice, Sister Pearl spent decades building coalitions for change in San Antonio and across Texas. She explains how personal relationships, listening, and persistence can transform neighborhoods—and entire cities. Co-hosts Marcus Goodyear and Camille Hall-Ortega join Sister Pearl ...

Grammy-winning musical artist and author Ashley Cleveland joins The Echoes Podcast to talk about grit. Through addiction and recovery, heartbreak and healing, Ashley invites us into a story where surrender becomes strength, vulnerability becomes vision, and brokenness gives way to beauty. This is a conversation about faith forged in fire, and the quiet, astonishing power of telling the whole, unvarnished truth. 

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Theoretically, we are more connected than ever, yet loneliness is a growing crisis. Research shows that social isolation can be as harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. What’s behind this epidemic of disconnection, and what can we do about it?

In this episode, psychiatrist and theologian Dr. Warren Kinghorn joins hosts Marcus Goodyear and Camille Hall-Ortega to explore the medical and theological roots of lonel...

“Your zip code shouldn’t determine your life expectancy—but in many American cities, it does.” In this eye-opening conversation, San Antonio vascular surgeon Dr. Lyssa Ochoa talks with us, your hosts Camille Hall-Ortega and Marcus Goodyear, about the stark health disparities in our communities. She highlights a 20-year gap in life expectancy between San Antonio neighborhoods just miles apart. This issue has ...

“We live in a world designed to distract us. Quiet isn’t passivity—it’s an active resistance, a space to reconnect with God and ourselves,” says celebrated singer-songwriter Jon Guerra in this episode. He joins hosts Camille Hall-Ortega and Marcus Goodyear to explore the profound relationship between worship, silence, and beauty. Known for his devotional music and work on the critically acclaimed film ...