Give and Take

Episode 267: Lack, Excess and the 2024 Election

November 18th, 2024  |  52 mins 55 secs

In this episode best selling author and filmmaker David Shields returns to the show. We have a wide ranging conversation about the recent Presidential election. We consider what it tells us about Trump, the culture, and most importantly ourselves.

Episode 266: Theology Without God, with Beatrice Marovich

October 4th, 2024  |  40 mins 52 secs

My guest is Beatrice Marovich. She teaches in the Department of Theological Studies, at Hanover College. Her work offers provocative reflections on the way that strange and ancient religious figures and ideas remain at work in our cultures, in our politics, and in our bodies in both beautiful and deeply unsettling ways. We covered a vast array of topics including poltical theology, the nature of death, and karaoke.

Episode 265: Love Is Still Winning, with Fabienne Doucet

October 3rd, 2024  |  53 mins 28 secs

My guest is Fabienne Doucet. Her new book is Love Is Still Winning. When a little one sees their parents overwhelmed with the aftermath of distressing news, they remind themselves of the love that still shines through and all of the ways love is showcased in the simplest of actions that we often overlook. Whether helping a neighbor or reminiscing the beauty of a sunset with a loved one, love triumphs all. This inspiring picture book will encourage your little ones to practice seeing the good that exists all around us. Parents will adore this bilingual English-Spanish picture book as it introduces little ones to possibilities in which they can bring love and kindness into the world.

Episode 264: Behold The Pierced One, with David Shields

July 18th, 2024  |  1 hr 9 mins

In this episode Scott is joined by return guest and friend of the show David Shields. The two talk about the assassination attempt on former President Trump, the messianic response by some, and what it means for the upcoming election.

Episode 263: Biden's Tragic Flaw

July 12th, 2024  |  1 hr 14 mins

In this episode Scott is joined by return guest and friend of the show David Shields. The two talk about the strange political moment the country faces and what might be the Shakespearean tragic nature of it all.

Episode 262: The Cultural Politics of the WNBA, with David Shields and Josh Rosenblatt

June 21st, 2024  |  1 hr 23 mins

In this episode Scott talks with authors David Shields and Josh Rosenblatt about the cultural politics of the WNBA. Much has been made of two of the NBA's prominent stars: Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. What are the racial and political implications of the coverage of these two athletes? What do they tell us about wider American culture as a whole in a tense election season?

Episode 261: Being a Wartime Rabbi, with Rabbi Raphael Davidovich

February 28th, 2024  |  1 hr 19 mins

In this episode we are joined by Raphael Davidovich. He is the Rabbi of Cleveland's friendliest Orthodox schule. We touch on a host of issues including and especially what it means to be an American Rabbi when Israel is at war.

Episode 260: Doing Faith Holistically, with Rabbi Uri Allen

October 15th, 2023  |  1 hr 1 min

My guest is Rabbi Uri Allen. Rabbi Uri Allen is a guitar-playing Abba of three who loves cooking, traveling around the country to see his favorite band Phish and learning Torah. His passions
in the rabbinate are in educating and teaching learners of all ages, working with young families like his own, and using music to add contour and depth to Jewish rituals and life. We had a great interfaith conversation that touched everything under the sun.

Episode 259: The Einstein Effect: How the World's Favorite Genius Got into Our Cars, Our Bathrooms, and Our Minds, with Benyamin Cohen

October 6th, 2023  |  42 mins 54 secs

My guest is Benyamin Cohen. Benyamin Cohen manages the official social media accounts of Albert Einstein. He is the News Director of the Forward and was the founding editor of both Jewsweek and American Jewish Life magazine. His newest book is The Einstein Effect: How the World's Favorite Genius Got into Our Cars, Our Bathrooms, and Our Minds. It's a fascinating look into how Einstein's genius and science continues to show up in so many facets of our everyday lives and his enduring legacy as an unlikely pop culture icon.

Episode 258: Humanism, Healing and Hope, with Jane Rosenzweig

October 4th, 2023  |  49 mins 14 secs

My guest is Jane Rosenzweig. Jane has spent a career working in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion field in corporate America. She and I also spend entirely too much time on an app called Clubhouse, which is where we met.

Episode 257: You're Only Human, with Kelly Kapic

December 16th, 2021  |  1 hr 5 mins

My guest is Kelly Kapic. Work. Family. Church. Exercise. Sleep.

The list of demands on our time seems to be never ending. It can leave you feeling a little guilty--like you should always be doing one more thing.

Rather than sharing better time-management tips to squeeze more hours out of the day, Kelly Kapic takes a different approach in You're Only Human. He offers a better way to make peace with the fact that God didn't create us to do it all.

Episode 256: Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts, with Kirsten Powers

October 13th, 2021  |  58 mins 44 secs

My guest is Kirsten Powers. Her new book is "Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts." In it this CNN senior political analyst and USA Today columnist offers a path to navigating the toxic division in our culture without compromising our convictions and emotional well-being, based on her experience as a journalist during the Trump era, interviews with experts, and research on what leads people to actually change their minds.

Episode 255: The Rise of Post-Liberal Man

July 29th, 2021  |  54 mins 17 secs

My guest is Mathis Bitton. He is a student of political theory at Yale University. His writing focuses on liberalism and its discontents, Confucian and Islamic thought, city-states, and institution-building. You can follow him on Twitter at @mlbitton.

Episode 254: The 40 Day Challenge, with Rabbi Mark Wildes

July 26th, 2021  |  46 mins 12 secs

My guest is Mark Wildes. His newest book is "The 40 Day Challenge".

Sometimes we are spiritually frozen. This book will thaw you out and heat you up - Nissim Black, Rapper and Businessman

Written in an approachable, uplifting, and accessible style, The 40 Day Challenge is an invitation for people who believe there is more to life than the daily grind. It offers the reader easily digestible and compact Jewish wisdom, each day for the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul leading up to Yom Kippur. Each daily reading is followed by a challenge question so it can serve as a spiritual diary as you approach the High Holidays. This year, instead of just “showing up,” prepare yourself with a Torah insight written by MJE Founder Rabbi Mark Wildes, who has spent his life inspiring Jews from all walks of life.

Episode 253: Supreme Court Recap, with Steve Krone

June 18th, 2021  |  1 hr 11 mins

My guest is Steve Krone. In addition to being an entertainment lawyer and a prolific film producer, he also was a Supreme Court clerk for Justices William J. Brennan, Jr. and David H. Souter. We talked about the two significant decisions the Supreme Court handed down this week. We also chatted a bit about film.

Episode 252: Talking Politics, Pop-Culture, and Podcasting, with Roifield Brown

May 19th, 2021  |  1 hr 8 mins

In this episode I talk with Roifield Brown. Roifield Brown is an experienced podcaster and media strategist, with an impressive track record of helping companies enhance and grow their media properties to diverse audiences across a wide range of categories, including politics, history, culture and entertainment.