Give and Take

Episode 272: Is David Brooks a Christian or a Jew? With Mark Oppenheimer

December 23rd, 2024  |  50 mins 4 secs

My guest is Mark Oppenheimer. In a recent NY Times piece David Brooks describes his own complex journey of faith. Mark Oppenheimer has written a piece questioning why David Brooks consistently continues to refer to himself as a Jew, despite affirming the central tenets of the Christian faith. Mark returns to the show to discuss his piece and what it tells us about the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.

Episode 271: History Lessons from Gladiator 2, with Edward J. Watts

December 18th, 2024  |  1 hr 1 min

My guest is Edward Watts. He holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair and is professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. He's the author and editor of several prize-winning books, including The Final Pagan Generation and Mortal Republic. He's been on the show before and he returns to talk about Ridley's Scott's new movie Gladiator 2.

Episode 270: Antisemitism, Identity and the Crisis of Liberalism, with Thane Rosenbaum

December 17th, 2024  |  57 mins 6 secs

My guest is Thane Rosenbaum. Thane is a law professor, legal and Middle East analyst, novelist, essayist and Distinguished University Professor at Touro University. He's an all around Renaissance man. We talk about a host of issues including antisemitism, identity politics, and the true nature of liberalism.

Episode 269: So You Want to Write a Book..., with Leah Paulos

December 10th, 2024  |  1 hr 1 min

My guest is Leah Paulos. Leah Paulos, the founder of Press Shop PR, has worked at the intersection of books and media for over 25 years. She’s led publicity campaigns for hundreds of authors, helping them line up media attention and events and supporting them as they navigate the (somewhat bizarre) world of publishing. She has long wanted to offer publicity support to more authors than Press Shop PR can accommodate for full media campaigns. Book Publicity School is her answer, allowing her to bring her decades of experience and passion for championing authors to more writers at an affordable price. We talk about the process of birthing a book, what it takes to promote it, and what it can teach us about life.

Episode 268: Embracing Alienation, with Todd McGowan

November 30th, 2024  |  1 hr 15 mins

My guest is Todd McGowan. Todd teaches theory and film at the University of Vermont. In his new book "Embracing Alienation", McGowan offers a completely different take on alienation, claiming that the effort to overcome it is not a radical response to the current state of things but a failure to see the constitutive power of alienation for all of us. Instead of trying to overcome alienation and accede to an unalienated existence, it argues, we should instead redeem alienation as an existential and political program.

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.